Colony and emancipation

core processes related to land ownership and production means in Colombia

Abstract

Colombia’s current social and economic structure is a result of historical events that took place during the colonial era and the nineteenth century in the region we now call Colombia. These events determined the existence of an inequitable society in which the struggle for land tenure became the epicenter of many kinds of social conflicts. Due to a historical lack of a liberal political project in the philosophical sense (democracy, equality, and social inclusion), these conflicts led to the genesis and continuing existence of an elite class that has held the economic and political power throughout Colombia’s history. An understanding of the historical context is fundamental to explaining the difficulties that Colombia has faced on the road towards development.