The ‘consultas populares’ in Colombia: restrictions on mechanisms for citizen participation in foreign extractive projects from the perspective of the capitalocene

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article discusses from the perspective of the capitalocene how judicial decisions have limited legal mechanisms utilized by local communities as emancipatory tools. It focuses on the case of consultas populares (popular consultations) using the consultation in Cumaral, Colombia, to illustrate the argument. These judicial decisions have favoured a few transnational actors who pursue a hegemonic view of development. These actors are aligned with the logic of commodity speculation in financial markets. The restrictive interpretation of popular consultations has limited the communities’ participation, who suffer most directly from the consequences of large-scale investment and ‘development’ projects. These judicial decisions also exert control over territories, disregard local views of development, and contribute to worsening the current climate crisis.