Abstract

The Magdalena River, Colombia’s main river backbone, features multiple tensions and socio-environmental conflicts. They manifest themselves in the river’s ecological degradation and negatively impact the riparian communities and artisanal fishermen, whose productive activities and rights of access to water are restricted. For these communities, the river is a means of passing down and exchanging knowledge between generations. However, their knowledge and practices are not recognized in the dominant governance processes over the Magdalena River. In an interview with Juan Carlos Gutiérrez-Camargo, environmental activist, researcher and companion of artisanal fishermen, we illustrate the universe of epistemologies and worldviews of these communities. We discuss, from a legal-pluralism perspective, the contradictions between state norms and authorities, parastatal powers, and the customary rights of fishing communities. We analyze how the simultaneous presence of various authorities and the complex, unequal arena of legal, extra-legal and illegal forces, hinders enforcement of fishermen’s customary socio-legal repertoires and also of the Colombian Constitution to protect riverside communities’ human rights. The interview reflects on the great complexity of exercising community leadership, environmental protection and defense of artisanal fishing in the midst of a socio-normative political arena permeated by state abandonment and paramilitary violence. For this reason, the interview stresses the importance of recognizing artisanal fisher collectives as political subjects in river co-governance. It also highlights the ambivalent implications of granting rights to nature and rivers: their meaning, functions and impact depend on their political trajectory and mobilization by grassrooted collectives. Finally, Gutiérrez proposes strengthening knowledge networks to bolster river co-governance where the political-cultural and socio-normative frameworks of riverside communities play a preponderant role.

摘要

马格达莱纳河是哥伦比亚的主要河流主干，具有多重紧张局势和社会环境冲突。它们表现为河流的生态退化，并对河岸社区和手工渔民产生负面影响，他们的生产活动和取水权受到限制。对于这些社区来说，河流是世代相传和交流知识的一种方式。然而，他们的知识和实践并未在马格达莱纳河的主导治理过程中得到认可。在对环境活动家、研究员和手工渔民同伴 Juan Carlos Gutiérrez-Camargo 的采访中，我们阐释了这些社区的认识论和世界观。我们从法律多元主义的角度讨论，国家规范和当局、半国营权力和渔业社区的习惯权利之间的矛盾。我们分析了各种当局的同时存在以及法律、法外和非法力量的复杂、不平等的舞台如何阻碍渔民习惯的社会法律曲目的执行以及哥伦比亚宪法以保护河边社区的人权。采访反映了在国家放弃和准军事暴力渗透的社会规范政治舞台中行使社区领导、环境保护和捍卫手工捕鱼的巨大复杂性。出于这个原因，采访强调了将手工渔民集体视为河流共治中的政治主体的重要性。它还强调了赋予自然和河流权利的矛盾含义：它们的意义、功能和影响取决于它们的政治轨迹和基层集体的动员。最后，Gutiérrez 建议加强知识网络以支持河流共同治理，其中沿河社区的政治文化和社会规范框架发挥着重要作用。