Indígenas, mestizaje, tierras y poder en el Caribe Colombiano, siglo XIX

Abstract

Contrary to an idea widely held, the resguardos indígenas of the area known as El Bolívar Grande (within the Caribbean part of Colombia) survived the 19th century, and it was during Republican times that systematic campaigns to abolish them were developed. In this article the authors argue that, besides external factors - such as the development of a cattle raising economy -, the extinction of the resguardos was due to a number of causes: The internal fragmentation of these communities, public discourse on mestizaje and citizenship as foundations of national unity, political and administrative restructuring measures introduced by the Republic, that sought to subordinate the administration of the resguardo lands to district entities controlled mostly by non-indigenous people and by relations between the interests of parts of the power elites.