The cowpea bean (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) is a species of great importance in the Colombian Caribbean food, but its average grain yield of 600 kg·ha-1 is considered low due to lack of breeding and other biotic and abiotic factors. With the aim of improving the species, genetic variability and genetic parameters in 40 lines obtained through individual selection in the population of cowpea beans ·Criollo-Córdoba· and four controls, including among them the original population, were estimated. The study was conducted in the experimental area at Universidad de Córdoba (Montería, Colombia) in 2012. For this purpose, the Federer augmented block design with fi ve replications was used. Study results showed considerable variations between lines, controls, and in the contrast lines versus controls contrast for the characters days of fl owering, number of seeds per pod, weight of 100 seed, seed length, seed width and pod length, which allow increasing grain yield indirectly. Likewise, genotypes L-006 and L-009 showed a grain potential yield above 3.0 t·ha-1. It is possible to derive, through selection, superior genotypes of heterogeneous local populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...