ABSTRACT
Transnational companies like US-based Chiquita Brands, Dole, Drummond Coal, Swiss-based Glencore, and others began to arrive in the Caribbean Magdalena and Cesar regions of Colombia in the 1990s in large part due to state incentives to invest. The chapter discusses elements of the dominant neoliberal development approach implemented by state and corporate actors in Magdalena and Cesar. Before engaging in specific analysis of the resistances presented by local communities to the violence, neglect, and displacement occurring in Magdalena and Cesar, it is important to understand the different perspectives about governance issues. Community and labor groups in Magdalena and Cesar have tried to work collaboratively to address specific problems in their communities, and propose solutions. The chapter focuses on internal and external factors in the making and breaking of labor-community organization alliances in the Magdalena and Cesar regions of Colombia yields several insights about the significance of grassroots efforts to enter arenas of potential influence in development and poverty alleviation policy-making.
