Policies for access and permanence of the indigenous populationin higher education in Colombia

In Colombia, although there are different public policies aimed at guaranteeingthe right to education of indigenous peoples, statistics show that this populationfaces great difficulties in accessing higher education and strong obstacles toremain in and successfully complete their university studies. This article ex-plores and critically analyzes the public policies in force in Colombia, whichaim to promote the access and permanence of the indigenous population inhigher education. It starts with an examination of the public documents thatguide state and governmental action in the development of this fundamentalright to education, in line with other rights such as equality, free developmentof personality and economic and social rights, all of constitutional rank. Afterthe analytical process, conclusive questions arise that allow exploring thetheoretical and practical limits inherent to the construction of interculturalityin Colombian higher education, based on the public policies implemented bythe State, which reveal a lack of articulation among all the actors involved forthe effectiveness of the plans, mainly concerning the particular needs of theindigenous populations in each specific context