Legal barriers to citizen participation in southern Tolima

Objective: this article is the result of a research project that sought to analyze the scope of community participation in the implementation of the Territorially Focused Development Programs (PDET) in the southern sub -region of Tolima in Colombia. Method: the research, with a qualitative approach, was based on an ethnographic method and applied participant observation as a technique for data collection. The interaction with the participants in the territory lasted from 2021 to mid 2023. Theoretically, this paper offers a reading of the findings in light of Nancy Fraser's and Martha Nussbaum's categories of participation and core capacities, respectively. The two theoretical bases are intertwined considering the requirement of a capabilities approach as a critical extension of participation, since human functionality allows us to explain in greater detail the context of inequality on which the actors rely. Results: the main finding of the research was the verification of the existence of institutionalized barriers, supported by a legal framework, which prevent communities from effectively participating in the decision -making processes in the PDET process. Conclusions: it is urgent to strengthen the mechanisms for participation and dialogue in the PDETs, ensuring that the communities are protagonists in the definition and execution of the initiatives.