The department of Cordoba case could be seen as a relevant example of state weakness to apply its legitimate monopoly of violence and spread its institutions to the entire territory. This is the reason why illegal groups, such as guerrillas and autodefensas, raised throughout the land of rivers Sinu and San Jorge. Also, this context gave rise to parastatal structures whithin the department, which have a strong influence on social, political, military, and economic affairs, and were gradually recognized by the population and the State itself, whom rejected them with the past of the time thereunder its illegal origins. In this sense, it is crucial to ask: ?To which extent has the department of Cordoba been an example of parastatal structure thereunder theoretical assumptions? This paper aims at answering that question, so, first, give a glance to the theoretical approaches to define a “parastate”, as a basic tool to understand its main origins. Secondly, a differentiation among parastatal, paramilitarismo and autodefensas is presented. On the other hand, the definitions, practices and relations among clientelism, paramilitarismo and violent groups are presented in order to analyze them as indicators to stablish if the department of Cordoba was a parastate during a the period of time we study. Finally, some conclusions are drowned.