From ethnicization to ethnicism: Transformations of the legal and political subject of blackness in Colombia.

This article examines the evolving legal and political conceptions of blackness in Colombia over the past three decades, focusing on the classification of Afro-descendant populations as ethnic groups and, more recently, as "ethnic peoples" ("pueblos étnicos"). Initially institutionalized through the 1991 Constitution and Law 70 of 1993, Afro-Colombian "black communities" were recognized based on traditional cultural practices, collective land ownership, and territorial ties, particularly in the Pacific region. Over time, this ethnicization process has intersected with experiences of armed conflict, displacement, and victimhood, leading to a regime of victimhood that frames Afro-descendant populations as vulnerable victims of violence. Additionally, the emergence of an Afro-diasporic subject emphasizes shared African ancestry, racialized identity, and experiences of racism, expanding the political subject beyond rural communities to include urban populations. The 2022 report of the Comisión para el Esclarecimiento de la Verdad de Colombia (CEV) and recent state policies reflect a shift toward racialized ethnicism, merging cultural and racial identities under the concept of ethnic peoples, a framework now institutionalized in entities such as the Ministry of Equality and Equity.