Peasant Reserve Zone: territorialities on dispute. The case of the Valle del río Cimitarra, Colombia

Abstract

The Peasant Reserve Zones - ZRC arose as a legal mechanism that allows for the defense of peasant territory through the strengthening of its economy, the formalization of property, the prevention and/or revision of land concentration and the closure of the agricultural frontier. However, its development has been marked by the conflict between the territorialities of the peasantry and the capital. In this article, the Peasant Reserve Zone of the Cimitarra river Valley - ZRC-VRC is analyzed through a case study methodology, where community organization processes demonstrate the effort of regulation over natural resources, land distribution and coexistence. Nonetheless, at the same time, extractive projects linked to the palm agribusiness, large scale land ownership, gold mining and the exploitation of hydrocarbons are being promoted by the State. This situation jeopardizes the development of the objectives of the ZRC with regards to the strengthening of peasant territory and limits the possibilities of this agrarian initiative in the construction of peace.

Keywords

• Peasant Reserve Zones
• Peasant territory
• Territoriality
• Territorial conflict
• Cimitarra river Valley
• Peace building