Territory in Dispute: Socio-Environmental Conflicts in the Ecoregion of the Colombian Massif

Abstract

There are protests against mining, in support of clean water and in defence of the land. However, during Juan Manuel Santos’s presidency (2014–2018), Colombia’s government institutions did not acknowledge the socio-environmental conflicts in the Colombian Massif.

The Colombian Massif ecoregion is recognised as the country’s riverine heartland and is subject to a protection scheme due to its rich biodiversity. Nevertheless, the Colombian government also pursues a ‘mining and energy locomotive’ strategy, aiming to increase mineral extraction in the country and promoting extractivism in the Colombian Massif. At the same time, it recognised it as an ecoregion to protect its biodiversity. In this context, this research shows how peasant movements and government institutions negotiate access to and use of natural resources. It highlights the importance of the construction of territory and identity as a resource of power for peasant social movements. The article demonstrates how different constructions of territory shape socio-environmental conflicts between social movements and government institutions, and how these become resources of power.