Abstract

LOSADA, Rodrigo. IMPLICACIONES ELECTORALES DE LA REINSERCIÓN POLÍTICA DE LAS AUTODEFENSAS EN COLOMBIA. Pap.polit. [online]. 2006, vol.11, n.1, pp.11-46. ISSN 0122-4409.

Aiming at a better understanding of illegal self-defense groups' role in contemporary Colombian elections, an analysis is undertaken of 2002 Senate election at municipal level. Electoral behavior of municipalities with active presence of said groups is confronted with behavior of municipalities with null or scarce presence of the same groups, and three political and electoral strategies are detected: one of coercion, fraud and vote-buying, with exclusion of rival candidates; a second one of backing a preferred candidate with tolerance vis-a-vis other candidates; and the third, of seeming indifference for the electoral process. It is foreseen that the mentioned groups' interference in electoral processes will be reduced, although not completely, when they demobilize and reinsert in the legal life of the nation.

Keywords : Colombia; electoral behavior; illegal self-defense groups; political violence.

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