Land Tenure in Peasant Universes. Distribution, Transformations, and Land Struggles in the District of Cajibío (Colombia), 1973-2008

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyze the changes in the distribution and use of land
tenure as well as the social struggles surrounding rural ownership in the district of Cajibío (Cauca, Colombia) during the period 1973-2008. We will focus our interest in the land and its major transformations; apart from being one of the best strategies in order to approach the reality of a peasant society, it will allows us to point out some of the strongest economic and political restructuring phenomena registered in this district. With the intentin to achieve this goal, we have resorted to the use of statistical sources from the Instituto Geográfico Agustin Codazzi (IGAC), documentary sources located in four state archives in Cajibío, and interviews in depth to leaders, inhabitants and functionaries of the districtA