Citizenship and democracy in Cartagena: between social exclusion and political patronage

The article shows the political, social, economic and legal dimensions in which the notion of citizenship articulate and explain how the interests and political projects of the ruling elites in Colombia have made historically imposed an exclusionary concept of citizen. We analyze how in the case of Cartagena are preserved on the one hand, imaginary and authoritarian forms of social hierarchy that are characteristic of the colonial world, and on the other, conditions of exclusion, poverty and marginalization of the majority of its inhabitants. Conditions that preclude the possibility of developing forms of democratic and inclusive citizenship. Finally, the implications that has had the "popular election of mayors and governors" (1988), in the deepening of certain practices such as patronage and vote buying are analyzed.