Agri-Food Peasant Territory, an Alternative Bet to Development Based on the Return of Land and Peasant Resistance to Oil Exploitation

In the department of Arauca, oil activity has been important in shaping the social fabric and economic dynamics of peasant communities, particularly in the Territorio Campesino Agroalimentario (tca) Santuario la Laguna del Lipa. The impact of this extractivist model and peasant resistance as an alternative to development were analyzed. Using a qualitative and interpretive approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with local leaders, focus groups with inhabitants of the territory and social mapping, identifying the dynamics of appropriation of space. It is evident that the exploitation of hydrocarbons has generated the displacement of families, environmental deterioration and an economic dependence on oil, weakening peasant autonomy. However, resistance strategies based on land recovery, agroecological production and the construction of new territorialities have been promoted. The peasant struggle in the tca is part of a post-extractivism and buen vivir perspective that challenges the imposed development model. In conclusion, it can be said that the tca represents a viable alternative to traditional development, focused on self-management and food sovereignty.