To Exclude in order to Integrate. Exception and State Building in the History of the National Territories of Colombia, 1843-1940

Abstract

Objective: To discuss the origin and persistence of national territories in Colombia, their relationship with the dominant social order, and some events or practices through which they were intervened or governed in practice. Methodology: Based on the analysis of laws and archival sources related to the national territories, the article critically examines the political logics that drove their creation and permanence, and the way in which these logics materialized in specific cases. Originality: Although national territories have been the subject of monographic works, this article offers a broad historical perspective on their origin and persistence. This perspective allows us to understand the relationship of this persistence with the existence of a dominant political and social order. Conclusions: The normative and historical analysis of national territories allows us to understand the ways in which they were symbolically and materially assimilated into the Colombian nation, as well as their relationship with internal borders, peripheries, margins and other current socio-spatial constructions.