Masking the Past, Legitimizing the Present: State-Making and Precariatization in the Agro-Industrial Landscape, Colombia

Rural precarity: relational autonomy, ecological dependence and political immobilisation in the agro-industrial margin

“…Contract farmers and aspiring labourers seek to be on good terms with the ingenio, and thus avoid speaking up against the historical dispossessions, land concentration and ongoing health concerns from harvest fires and aerial fumigation. Further, as explored elsewhere (Hougaard 2019 ), the ingenio reconfigures patronage relations through their CSR programme (cf. Acosta and Pérezts 2019 ; Djelic and Etchanchu 2017 ), offering homework assistance, cooking and baking courses, and occasionally sending a health brigade to the village.…”

“…Moreover, these reconfigured patronage relations are closely tied with the subtle threat of violence. More than once, the general threat on social leaders in Colombia was raised as a concern in relation to challenging the competing mining claim or speaking out against the ingenio, while, as election time got closer and aspiring candidates started counting voters (Hougaard 2019 ), I was warned about moving alone in the area. Thus, while violence in Brisas del Frayle is not direct physical experience, it lies as a subtle threat influencing everyday life and motivations for political mobilisation.…”