Abstract

SERRANO CORREDOR, Camilo Ernesto. «They are People Like Me». Brokers and Political Machine-Building in Palmira, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Estud. Polit. [online]. 2020, n.59, pp.227-251. ISSN 0121-5167.  https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.espo.n59a10.

The local persistence of political factions strongly linked with political machines in contemporary Colombia is still an unexplored field. This article contributes to that debate through a case study: the so-called Caicedismo in Palmira, Valle del Cauca, during its period in the local office (2008-2019). This process is explained through the political machine-building carried out by the Caicedismo’s leaders (brokers). For this aim, ethnographic immersion was implemented, mainly centered in Caicedismo’s brokers and their campaign activities during 2019 local elections. It is concluded that the electoral brokers were key actors in the process of building the political machine of the Caicedista faction in Palmira for their access to local power, and also that their behavior challenges the usual theoretical constructions in this field.

Keywords : Political Culture; Subnational Politics; Clientelism; Broker; Political Machine; Colombia.

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