https://doi.org/10.25058/20112742.n52.02
William Villa
Investigador independiente, Colombia
wvilla@hotmail.com
Abstract:
Until the 1980s, Black communities in Chocó identified themselves as “free,” a term that referred both to those who had gained their freedom during slavery and to those who were at the foundations of Black society and culture in the region. These individuals “free”—thanks to self-manumission and manumission—established settlements around mining centers and created a sense of community based on kinship. In the second half of the 20th century, these families adopted new forms of political and social organization, successfully engaging in a dialogue with the State regarding their territorial rights, which culminated in the 1991 Constitution and Law 70 of 1993. These changes transformed how Black communities represent and recount their history, emphasizing their African roots and the sustainability of their ecosystems. However, the territorial recognition granted by the State has not prevented these communities to be subordinated to market extractive dynamics, which was even exacerbated by the collective land titling process. This article examines the radical transformation undergone by these communities following the 1991 Constitution and Law 70 of 1993, which recognized their territorial and collective rights. However, these recognition policies have been strained by the expansion of an extractive economy that, far from strengthening Black communities’ territorial control, has intensified their subordination to market forces and external actors.
Keywords: Black communities, Chocó, “Free” Blacks, kinship, Law 70 of 1993, collective property, mechanized mining, community councils, extractivism.
