Suchergebnisse

Current processes of globalization are transforming the world's social and political geography by facilitating new socio-spatial configurations that are discontinuous with state territories and incompatible with the notion of exclusive authority. This article examines the emergence of alternative sociopolitical relationships in Colombia as a result of global changes, and considers how this development has affected the more elusive aspects of statehood, such as authority and legitimacy. While alternative orders can undermine what are often already precarious structures of domestic governance and authority, as the Colombian experience attests, new spheres of authority may in fact enhance state performance and legitimacy.

The negotiation of a Free Trade Agreement between Colombia and the United States has led to discussions of the negative consequences that such an accord might have for Colombian security in the event that the rural economy is further weakened. Although the relation between deteriorating economic conditions in the countryside and a worsened security environment is easy to establish, establishing a link between agricultural development and improved security is not as simple. This article suggests that a FTA that spurs rural economic development could improve Colombia's security situation, but it could also have the unexpected effect of increasing security by providing resources to illegal armed groups. The author argues that in order for economic development to have a positive effect upon the security issue, it should be complemented with the development of private and public institutions, and adequate guarantees of public order on the part of the state.