Historical resistance for the defense of the land and the territory in the municipality of Cabrera, Colombia

This paper walks through the history of the town of Cabrera, in Colombia, with the purpose of reflecting on the resistance in this region and the way it interacts with its past land struggles. We will focus on the recent struggles for the defense of the land and the territory that are taking place in this municipality, with regard to the threat of the introduction of a hydroelectric project in the region. The implementation of this extractive model occurs in the context of an environment marked by authoritarian, populist policies, which have affected democracy and the social fabric. However, the community has used various strategies to resist and defend their territory. This emancipatory experience in Cabrera has been possible, to our understanding, thanks to the historical memory of the struggle for the land and the territory, which is triggered at times when their permanence in the territory is at risk, and enables the reconfiguration of the repertoires of action used in collective acts of resistance.

This paper was presented at the Emancipatory Rural Politics Initiative (ERPI) 2018 Conference: "Authoritarian Populism and the Rural World"