Re-stating the state: paramilitary territorial control and political order in Colombia (1978-2004)

This paper is devoted to the description of the paramilitary intent of establishing a distinct social order in a specific region of Colombia (Puerto Boyaca and its hinterland) and the way in which it coexisted and interacted with state structures. It seeks to understand how and why such structures and political order co-evolve and how such evolution was related to the type of provision of security offered by the State and other actors.