Everyday processes of state-building in the Colombian Caribbean

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article focuses on the case of the community of Villa Gloria, located in the northern part of Cartagena de Indias (Colombia) and inhabited by a predominantly Black population. The research questions that guide this paper are: what are the everyday processes of local state-building on the margins and, in the case of Black communities, how do they organize themselves in areas of recent colonization permeated by armed violence? I make two main arguments. First, the emergence of Villa Gloria allows us to understand the state as a collective construction among different actors whose goals and interests in contexts of armed conflict may differ from those of the state. Secondly, community pressure and mobilization make the state visible at the margins. To test these arguments, I propose an analysis of five variables: power, autonomy, authority, security and justice and infrastructure and services. The study provides empirical evidence to discuss the consequences of the type of local state that emerges on the margins and in the context of armed conflict.