Ambiguities in two decades of the multiculturalist paradigm. Elements of the immediate history of the ‘Afro-colombians’

Abstract

The immediate history of the Afrocolombians has been marked by a series of advances, confusions and regressions. All of a becoming that at being analyzed in a carefully way, it reveals the ambiguity present in the multiculturalist paradigm. Paradigm from where it has been pretended to organize the society; such form that it does justice for the ‘minorities’ historically badly treated by the daily discrimination and structural existing in the Colombian society. In this sense, this article aims to contrast what was stated in the 1991 Colombian Constitution, the Law 70 of 1993, relevant bibliographic material to the issue and the reality of Afro-Colombians, leading to the conclusion that the benefits conquered by the Afro behind these two decades of multiculturalism do not compare with the losses they are facing. It is argued that while affirmative policies, speech recognition has been tolerated and respected by some sectors of Colombian society, a large number of Colombians still have a negative attitude to the Afro-Colombians.