A political economy perspective on alternative development coalitions: the case of paramilitary territories in Colombia

ABSTRACT

This article analyzes alternative development coalitions, their contradictions and complexities, and how they promoted a steeply unequal agrarian change through illicit crop substitution. We zoom into two paramilitary-controlled territories in Colombia. We show that those programs counted with significant support from, and were actually driven by, long coalitions that included regional and national politicians, sectors of the rural rich, paramilitary leaders, Colombian government and United States agencies.

KEYWORDS:

• Alternative development
• coalitions
• illicit crops
• political economy
• drug policy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1 The University did not require for this project an Ethics Committee approval. All people interviewed were required to give written or verbal informed consent according to the Drugs and Disorder project standards and forms.

2 The banana agro-industrial elite of Magdalena developed enormous political influence during the twentieth century.

3 Dollar value to date.

4 An enterprise sustained by community contributions made with the money provided by the program. Officially this was presented as a voluntary savings program, but different sources assert that the payments were compulsory and monitored by the paramilitaries.

5 Más Inversión para el Desarrollo Alternativo Sostenible, or More Investment for Sustainable Development.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Global Challenges Research Fund [grant number ES/P011543/1].

Notes on contributors

Francisco Gutiérrez-Sanín

Francisco Gutiérrez-Sanín is an anthropologist and political scientist, researcher at the Instituto de Estudios Políticos y Relaciones Internacionales (National University of Colombia). Recent books: ‘Clientelistic Warfare? Paramilitaries and the State in Colombia’ (Peter Lang, 2019) and ‘¿Un nuevo ciclo de la guerra en Colombia?’ (Random House, 2021)

Luis Castillo

Luis Castillo is a philosopher and holds a master's degree in political studies from the National University of Colombia. In 2019 he won an IFEA scholarship to finish his thesis on coffee economy and paramilitary violence. He has worked since 2018 with the Observatorio de Tierras in research projects on illicit economies, anti-drug policy, armed conflict, and land dispossession.

Sebastián Cristancho-Bohada

Sebastián Cristancho-Bohada is a political scientist from the National University of Colombia and specialist in statistics from the same university. Researcher at the Observatorio de Tierras with an interest in agrarian issues, armed conflict, and illicit economies. Email: [email protected]