The Dialectic of Autonomy & Inclusion: Organizing and Resistance in Colombia with Anthony Dest
Aug 18, 2023
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In this episode, Anthony Dest, an assistant professor of anthropology, discusses political economy, organizing, and resistance in Colombia. Topics include Black Colombians' organization, the US war on drugs, the Peace Accords process, neoliberal reforms, coordinated action, and political prisoners.
Organized resistance in Colombia involves black and indigenous communities fighting against colonialism and neoliberal reforms.
Neoliberalism in Colombia has deepened social inequalities and threatened the ancestral territories of marginalized communities.
The 2021 uprising in Colombia showcased widespread resistance, self-organization, and the need for support for political prisoners.
Deep dives
The Struggle for Autonomy and Resistance in Colombia
The podcast episode explores the struggle for autonomy and resistance in Colombia, focusing on various movements and their efforts to resist colonialism, oppression, and neoliberal reforms. The episode highlights the organization and resistance of black and indigenous communities, particularly in navigating the impacts of the US-sponsored war on drugs, the peace accords process, and the contradictions created by neoliberal reforms. It also delves into the coordinated actions, spontaneous rebellions, and the election of progressive leaders like Gustavo Petro and Francia Marquez. The episode concludes with a discussion on the importance of supporting political prisoners and advocating for their release.
Neoliberalism and its Impact in Colombia
The podcast episode discusses the impact of neoliberalism in Colombia, focusing on the consequences of the country's adoption of neoliberal policies and its effects on marginalized communities. It explores how neoliberal reforms have reinforced social inequalities and led to the enclosure of indigenous and black communities' ancestral territories. The episode also examines the limitations of state-sponsored multiculturalism and the tensions between autonomy and inclusion. It highlights the struggles and resistance movements, such as the Liberation of Mother Earth process and the Buena Ventura Civic Strike, in challenging racial capitalism and fighting for justice and dignity.
The Uprising in Colombia and its Significance
The podcast episode examines the 2021 uprising in Colombia and its significance as a transformative moment of resistance. It discusses how the national strike against a proposed neoliberal tax reform sparked a widespread uprising that spread to over 800 municipalities throughout the country. The episode highlights the resistance points that emerged during the uprising, where communities self-organized to protect themselves from state violence and built spaces of mutual aid and solidarity. It also addresses the challenges and repression faced by the movement and the ongoing struggles for political prisoners who participated in the uprising.
Autonomy vs Inclusion in Colombian Struggles
The podcast episode delves into the dialectic between autonomy and inclusion in Colombian struggles for justice and liberation. It explores how marginalized communities navigate the tensions between asserting their autonomy and engaging with the state and its institutions. The episode examines the debates around relying on legal rights and state recognition of difference and the limitations of relying on the state to uphold these rights. It emphasizes the importance of prefigurative politics and autonomous forms of resistance and raises critical questions about engaging with the state and the possibilities for radical change.
Supporting Political Prisoners in Colombia
The podcast episode emphasizes the importance of supporting political prisoners in Colombia, particularly those targeted for their participation in resistance movements. It highlights the case of six young individuals falsely accused of murdering a police officer during the uprising and the challenges they face in the Colombian judicial system. The episode discusses the work of the Columbia Freedom Collective, a coalition of organizations advocating for political prisoners, and calls for awareness, solidarity, and financial support for their legal defense.
Anthony Dest is assistant professor of anthropology at Lehman College and currently a faculty fellow at the Center for Place, Culture and Politics. He is also a member of the Colombia Freedom Collective.
We talk with Anthony about three of his essays about political economy, organizing and resistance in Colombia. This conversation primarily focuses on the organization of Black Colombians in formations like the Black Communities Process (PCN), as well as indigenous communities and other grassroots social formations.
Dest touches on the history of the US sponsored war on drugs in Colombia, the Peace Accords process in Colombia between the FARC and the Colombian government and on the resistance of the Liberation of Mother Earth Process. We also talk about some of the contradictions created by neoliberal reforms in Colombia and through an examination of the dialectical relationship between inclusion and autonomy, how Black and indigenous communities have organized in light of those reforms, while also looking at the various contradictions that have arisen along the way.
Finally we talk about coordinated action and more spontaneous rebellion amid national strikes, and the election of the Petro and Márquez administration as well as other local electoral efforts. We close with an important conversation on the political prisoners who have been repressed in response to some of the uprisings we discuss, and ways that people can materially support the Colombia Freedom Collective, which we encourage folks to do.
You can support the Colombia Freedom Collective at colombiafreedomcollective.org we’ll include that link in the show notes as well as a place where you can access Dest’s writings.
And of course if you appreciate the work we do, please consider becoming a patron of the show. You can do so for as little as $1 a month at patreon.com/millennialsarekillingcapitalism
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