Agrarian Transformation and Resistance in the Colombian Countryside

In addition to being devastated by decades of harsh neoliberal economic policies, Colombia has been witness to the longest ongoing civil war in the Western Hemisphere. As applied in Colombia's rural areas, such policies are focused on the domination or the economic & physical extermination of the peasantry. While Colombia's cities have not been left unscathed by the turmoil, the rural regions have been far more devastated by the civil war. Nevertheless, within this subjugated yet bucolic condition lies La Esmeralda, a clear case of unified collective resistance by peasants, workers & community activists to state-led economic, political, cultural, & military/paramilitary assaults. La Esmeralda is a core project of FENSUAGRO, Colombia's largest rural--based labor organization, which represents & defends both members & their communities. In essence, it is an experimental agricultural & educational centre that provides displaced landless peasants & other small producers a safe environment while increasing understanding of organic agriculture, gender equity, & women's rights, literacy training, & other socio-educational services. When weighed against the backdrop of the nation's contemporary socioeconomic & political context, La Esmeralda provides a stark contrast to the violent realities that have & continue to surround much of rural Colombia & demonstrates the fortitude of rural people to create a more just & peaceful society. Tables, Graphs, References. Adapted from the source document.