COLONIALITY AND EDUCATION: BUILDING A SUBJECT OF RESISTANCE IN COLOMBIA

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the intersection between Quijano's theory of decoloniality of power and Mariátegui's ideas of social transformation, in order to make visible the cultural resistance that has historically been present in the Colombian educational field. Through a dialectical method, the tensions between the dominant educational model and the cultural alternatives that arise from indigenous peoples are explored, highlighting the limitations imposed by an epistemic hegemony that prioritizes Eurocentric thought. In the Colombian context, this hegemony has configured an educational system that promotes a “modern civilizational project” that favors a unidimensional vision of knowledge. The analysis focuses on how educational structures, by giving primacy to Eurocentrism, not only restrict access to and appreciation of other forms of knowledge, but also hinder the formation of a critical subject of resistance aware of their cultural heritage. Quijano's theory of decoloniality allows us to understand how colonial power is manifested in current educational policies, while Mariátegui's proposals offer a transformative approach, where education is conceived as a space for emancipation and the construction of an identity. autonomous culture. In this sense, the article invites us to rethink Colombian education as a potential space for the dialogue of knowledge, in which ancestral traditions not only have a place, but are also recognized and valued as essential components in the formation of critical citizens. In this way, we seek to make way for a pedagogy that fosters cultural resistance and contributes to the construction of a more equitable and plural society.