A peripheral region in the face of globalisation processes – exploitation of resources and the displacement of native inhabitants of Chocó from their land (in Colombia)

Abstract

The article focuses on the issues of forced displacement of people from regions with high growth potential. The search for valuable mineral resources and available land for future commercial crops (such as soybeans) make the peripheral regions in developing countries, mostly inhabited by the farming population, including indigenous tribes (e.g. Indian) interesting object for the activities of criminal groups and guerillas supported by big global investors who intend to expand their business here. The obstacles are inhabitants of these lands, who do not have the right tools and the political force to defend themselves against aggression and displacement them forcibly from villages they inhabit. This phenomenon is analyzed here on the example of the department of Chocó in Colombia, which is rich in valuable raw materials (such as gold and platinum) and has a vast sparsely populated areas suitable for the introduction of export crops (such as palm oil, soybeans and others).