Guardia cimarrona y construcción de identidades del pueblo negro en el norte del Cauca, Colombia

In this paper we show how the Guardia Cimarrona (a non-armed collective for the defense of territory) has participated in the shaping and positioning of an identity as black people for broad sectors of the inhabitantsof a small region in southern Colombia. This innovative political subjectivation, with its widespread capacity for appeal, highlights ethnic and racial senses of community, while tending to displace others based on social class, work, or gender. The article is the result of collaborative ethnographic work carried out between 2018 and 2020, whose greatest challenges came about due to the escalation of violent actions following the signing of the 2016 Acuerdo de Paz. We present a brief overview of the struggles of black populations in the region. Then, we look at the recent creation of the Guardia Cimarrona, its history and practices, and we finallyreflect in depth on its impact on current ethnic identities.