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As from 2011, the Centro Nacional de Memoria Histórica (National Centre of Historical Memory) has become a location for the official enunciation of memory in Colombia, consolidating itself as an institutional space which fosters an extensive reconstruction of historical memory. However, the Victim's Law, which created this centre and commissioned it to create, design, and manage a museum of memory, did not envision an institutional support structure for the places dedicated to memory in the country. The changes in political administration have jeopardized its work, resulting in important drawbacks in terms of victim participation, visibilization, research orientation, and financing. Taking this into consideration, the aim of this paper is to reflect, from the process of the construction and management of the Colombian Historical Memory Museum (2012-2019), upon how the changes in government affected the way in which memory is constructed from institutional locations. The pertinence of this approach is that said institution will become the most important landmark of representation of the memories of the armed conflict. It is hoped that it will be a central reference, as a symbolic official location regarding what is constructed, narrated and disseminated as the collective memory of the armed conflict in Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents glotopolitical reflections in relation to multilingualism and bilingualism in Colombia, as well as the characteristics of both sociolinguistic and glotopolitical approach. It also raises the need to implement in our country linguistic policy and planning based on glotopolitical criteria enabling equitable development of languages that are part of the social, cultural and everyday reality in Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the affective features of the linguistic attitudes of students from different geolectal areas of Colombia who attend to a university in Cali. This city is characterized by its cultural and dialectal plurality, partly due to forced migrations from armed conflict areas. In addition, in recent years, the Colombian State has boosted the access of top students to the university, mostly from rural areas. The diversity of uses of the language that students have built in their home contexts could get in tension with the dynamics of the college environment. From a mentalist perspective in which internal phenomena susceptible of self-observation prevail, it seeks to extrapolate the affective features of the linguistic attitudes of the population studied through a matched-guise and a questionnaire, instruments that inquire perceptions regarding five dialects very frequent used in the university. The results show different assessments of the dialects and an opinion on the Bogota accent as central, prestigious and standard, strongly associated with forms of academic orality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Colombian environmental normativity, the discount rate is the main variable that compares the temporal economic valuation of the costs and benefits produced by investment projects. Nevertheless, the established criterion of 12 % does not consider that some environmental impacts could be inter-generational. This paper estimates a specific discount rate (TAD) that integrates sustainability criteria, useful for the appraisal of environmental licenses. The methodological approach was to calculate the Social Rate of Time Preferences for Colombia, as an approximation of TAD during the 2001-2016 period. Due to the yearly widespread results, a declining discount rate with "gamma distribution" is proposed, finding values of 5 %, 4 % and 2 % for the short, medium and long term, respectively. The main conclusion highlights that due to the TAD's yearly widespread results found, it is possible to propose a decreasing behaviour in the discount rate related with time, which strengthens the importance of future consumption in governmental decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective/Context: This article explains how the Sierra de La Macarena Biological Reserve, which marked the beginning of the new state responsibility of caring for nature in Colombia, was conceived and then created by law in 1948. Additionally, this paper reconstructs the first decade of its existence. Methodology: This research is based on archival documents, historic publications and secondary sources, which allow us to understand the ideas about nature that guided such history and the concrete processes that characterized it. Originality: This article studies the process of State formation from a territorial and environmental perspective, bringing together political and environmental history, and pointing at new avenues of inquiry in both fields. Conclusions: The beginnings of a new state responsibility of caring for nature depended on previous developments of the state itself, particularly on the efforts to deal with tropical diseases. Therefore, an area of state activity devoted to insure the well-being of the population served as the basis for the inceptive development of another. This issue was, however, not entirely national. Global scientific networks, including medical doctors, entomologists and geologists, together with an innovative technology, aviation, also played a crucial role. The research station that was conceived along with the reserve to support long-term research was partly impaired by La Violencia of the 1950s. Instead, scientists carried out several expeditions that contributed to turn La Macarena into national patrimony, at least in the minds of some Colombians. Given that aspirations well exceeded the achievements, the definitive emergence of this area of state performance had to wait a few years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective/Context: The objective of this article is to aid historians who are interested in recovering the climate history of the current Colombian territory, in their explanations and research about climate and weather factors. Methodology: In order to face the lack of quantitative records, this paper shows some alternatives such as looking for signs from indirect sources, the contrast of sources, series-making, and detection of teleconnections. Originality: It shows the potential of documentary sources, it synthesizes methodological problems and it exemplifies a few ways to solve them based on a research about the Cundiboyacense Plateau in the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. Conclusions: The research agenda includes the exploration of new archives, climate history on a regional scale, the study of perceptions about weather even using quantitative records, and the exploration of the relationship climate-society during political struggle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper proposes the use of a digital forensic laboratory to help solve the problem of tax evasion in Colombia that involves problems in covering the public obligations of the State, and leads people to have problems of consumption and savings that affect the economic dynamics, but beyond the normative implications it is observed that when implementing new technologies in the fiscal process to avoid or detect evasion, more efficient results are obtained. The computer process that helps cover tax evasion can be improved through digital analysis as reflected in the findings of evidence of the use of forensic laboratories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay explores the theoretical arguments regarding the existence of "smart" territories, a recently-developed concept based on notions related to the knowledge society and knowledge economy, sustainable development, and social inclusion. This paper examines the preconditions necessary to make it possible for this type of territorial space to emerge in relation to the economic development underpinning it, as well as the right type of social structure, qualities required for human agency, and the social innovations demanded for such purpose. Finally, as a case study, this paper provides an empirical analysis of such conditions on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, drawing some final conclusions and recommendations from it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the creation of the Colombian Indigenista Institute, CII (1942), its institutional history, and its closure (1949). The CII, influenced by the Mexican indigenista movement, fought for indigenous peoples’ visibility for eight years. In the end, however, the CII failed due to a combination of internal factors such as ideological disagreements, and internal ones, including violence, scarce resources, and lack of awareness on the part of politicians and elites about the status, challenges, and even existence of Amerindian groups in Colombia. Three Colombian scholars created the CII. They attended the First Inter-American Indigenista Congress (Pátzcuaro 1940) where they got in touch with Manuel Gamio, then director of the Interamerican Indigenista Institute. Gamio´s ideas — that Indians have the right to govern themselves, to have tribal organizations, to elect their community leaders, and to maintain and assert their cultural identity — inspired the Colombians. In this paper, I trace the influences of the Mexican indigenista movement on Colombian indigenismo projects between 1940 and 1950. I draw on a variety of sources including Colombian newspapers and magazines, as well as letters of the indigenistas housed at the Colombian library Luis Ángel Arango in Bogotá and the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection at the University of Texas at Austin. I conclude by explaining why Colombian indigenismo of the decade between 1940 and 1950 ultimately failed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Colombia, social networks have become a powerful tool to disseminate political opinions, especially during the campaign period in the national presidential elections. This paper proposes a hybrid model to predict the outcome of the first round of presidential elections in Colombia in 2018, which aims to minimize absolute error and improve the quality of the final prediction. User activities on Twitter and Facebook were recorded and analyzed with artificial intelligence algorithms, resulting in an accurate prediction consistent with reality. As a core result is highlighted that the RMSE of the hybrid model is around 2.47%, surpassing on average the RMSE of the country's most prominent traditional polling firms. Additionally, the value of electoral abstentionism was also predicted with a differential error of 1.72% in relation to the real value, demonstrating the reliability of the proposed methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural stone has been an important element in Colombian construction since the hispanic period, especially in Bogotá city capital from Colombia. Sandstone and limestone rocks are ornamental and structural elements on heritage buildings and new constructions, and their use is important to revitalization of urban spaces for the enjoyment of the population. This paper shows the results of some technological characterization tests of two rock types widely used in construction, commonly known as Piedra Muñeca or Piedra Bogotana and Marmol Royal Bronce, used in historical buildings as well as modern ones. Petrophysical and mechanical properties of these rocks identified in a preliminary way were: Petrographic analysis, physical properties (bulk density, bulk porosity and water absorption), compressive strength, flexural strength, weathering resistance and impact resistance, as shown in the Brazilian technical standard ABNT NBR15845. The obtained results allows to determine, in an early way, that the two varieties (yellow and pink) of the Piedra bogotana stone can be used as a structural element (walls, columns, beams and foundations) and also as a dimension stone for buildings, floors and squares. It´s recommended the use of yellow variety specially on interior spaces. Marmol Royal Bronce can be used in finishes and also in any type of facing, floor and as a structural element in highly traffic streets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the technological advance in electricity generation techniques and the prevailing need for sustainable development of countries, the massive use of alternative energies has been in force for the last 15 years, with clear goals towards 2020 for sustainable development. At the regulatory level, Colombia cannot be left behind in the regulation, and progress has already been made on the subject with law 1715 of 2014 and several decrees of incentives in the promotion of renewable energies. The objective of this paper is to show the state of the art on the way in which the net balance and residential energy self-consumption by DER is handled by several tax regulations in different countries of Europe; moreover, it will also go into detail about the advantages offered by using a selected methodology to consider fair charges of support for the use of the electrical network by generators distributed from photovoltaic solar energy, all this as a contribution to advances already made in this field. This is provided from a network planning approach, in which a long-term methodology is selected that efficiently integrates the distributed generation into the interconnected system and allows transition periods in its implementation to avoid disruption of network operators (ORs). Likewise, this analysis is supported by the simulated operation of a system with DER together with the changes in load flows due to decongestion and surplus injection that the electric system has in the scenario of massive use of these resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the gap between the expected and real effects of Colombian trade liberalization policy. First, we stress the influence of international integration on Colombia's growth and development, and explains why moving toward more free trade has not contributed to the consolidation of high value-added industries in that country. Ultimately, we apply the theory of political cycles and suggest that political power in Colombia has contributed to get the country trapped into an international dependency on primary commodities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to increase the legal certainty of the international contract, the applicable law to international contract should be highly foreseeable. To reach it, the States have been implementing uniform substantive legislation and uniform conflict of law rules. However, domestic conflict of law rules, in countries such as Colombia, still unfortunately play a leading role. The hierarchy and application of these provisions represents a huge challenge for the Colombian´s courts. The main objective of this paper is to establish the criteria that the Colombian judge must follow to determine the applicable law to international sales contract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a description of the labour market in Valledupar for the period 2007-2017. We find that after the fall of coal prices, the labour market has presented a significant deterioration, reflected in the increase of unemployment rate, especially for the most educated, women and youth. The econometric results confirm that changes in coal prices have a positive and significant effect in labour participation and real wages. Moreover, we find that the return of higher education in Valledupar is lower, compared to the rest of cities in Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objetive of this paper is to determine the enabling conditions for exercising participatory budgets in Bogotá. An analysis of the citizen participation regulatory framework in Colombia is introduced in order to understand the existent conditions for the execution of democratic budgets. After, a diagnostic of the main national and international citizen participation programs is completed using Arnstein’s “participatory ladder”, highlighting the failures in promoting citizen participation and in the development of participatory budgets. Finally, the last chapter presents a proposal to synthetize conditions that will enable the development of citizen budgets as well as the lessons learnt from international and national cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coverage of the Colombian peace process by the national media meant a significant work of media representation starting by introducing the main events in their agenda and was followed by the production of a series of accounts whereby the media told these events and made sense thereof. By analyzing three cases, this paper describes how the media approached the peace process, focusing mostly on produced images. One of the main findings is that the iconography of the peace process --besides being ancillary to the written news-- accounts for the strong polarization of the different stances assumed by the official and political actors regarding the peace process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting from the study of one's image and the society enemy's image in the margins of the State, this paper provides an analysis of the military logic on the notions of the human and the order in the TV show Hombres de honor (Men of Honor). The TV show displays an army committed to serve the civilian population, especially in the so-called conflict zones. It describes the human character of the military forces beyond their role as soldiers trained for the war. The analysis herein allows understanding both the sphere of power and the thanatopolitics providing the frame for the logic of the war actions in their image. The capitals at stake and the hierarchy in the military sphere were determined in the analysis and, based on it, this work explored the binary structuring and narratives on the law enforcement and the enemies of the society. In this context, the superiority of the army legitimizes the military values for the whole society from the biopower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The passing sight distance (DVA) required for a stretch of road is obtained from the geometric design manuals of roads and road signs of each country; in Colombia there are the road geometric design Manual of the 2008 [1] and The 2015 [2] road signs Manual to get it. The objective of this paper is to apply and compare the methodologies established in each one of them to calculate the required DVA and to measure the DVA available in planes. When comparing these last two are indicated the sections where it is permissible to advance to signal the axis of the road with discontinuous line. When calculating the required DVA in each one of the Colombian's manuals, different values are obtained. To understand the effect of these and the differences on road signs, the values and methodology of each of them are applied to the Tunel de Occidente Road-San Jerónimo, which is a two-lane representative road and located in Antioquia department, Colombia. After having the respective road sign, gaps and contradictions were detected In the Colombian regulation of road design and signposting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The feeding behavior in the giant otter (Ptero-nura brasiliensis) has been described by several authors, however, the coordinated way in which the otter takes part in the hunting and obtains his feeding, has not been studied in detail. This paper systematizes the information of observations on the hunting behavior of Pteronura brasiliensis, in the Sapuara lagoon in the department of Guanía, Colombia, and allowed to describe hunting as a cooperative and highly organized behavior. This behavior has been studied through ad-libitum observations, from rocks and trees of 10 to 20 meters high with a horizontal viewing range of 110°. Some of the parameters analyzed were fishing strategy, type of shore, time spent on fishing, number of active otters (otters that participated in the fishing), depth, climatic conditions, and effectiveness of hunting. In the end, 11 cooperative fishing behaviors were observed, which were classified into three groups: Arrowhead, ranks and rounding. The most frequent of all those observed in farm work was arrowhead with a percentage of 38 %, with an average number of 7 otters participating in the hunt and with a success rate of up to 87 %. This is a new instrument for the approach of the study of the behavior of P. brasiliensis from the cooperative perspective of hunting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article attempts a bibliographic review of the growth and the characteristics of the population identified as atheist, agnostic or non-affiliated to any religion in Colombia. Based on the review of research papers press articles and information available on blogs and web pages on the subject, it aims to characterize this population in aspects such as its positions about spirituality, ethics, science, and politics. It also proposes some hypothesis about the causes of the growth of this sector of the population and on the relationship of this growth with the secularization of Colombian society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty, as one of the constraints of social welfare, is among the greatest concerns of countries, multilateral agencies, and society in general. However, international academic consensus regarding the concept, measurement, and international comparability remains distant. As such, this paper seeks to approximate positions on the subject, and propose an indicator that can overcome one-dimensional visions of a polyhedral and multicultural phenomenon. In light of the results, and using data from 121,802 households from the 2012-2017 National Quality of Life Survey, it was evident that in six years, Colombia reduced its incidence of poverty by 7.2 percentage points, the gap by 1.1, and inequality by 1 percentage point, with rural areas and households being affected more frequently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The starting point for this paper is the Colombian 'success story'. That is, the claim that a transition has taken place from a problematic conflict situation to a successful postconflict one. As the debates about the Colombian success story revolve around the presence or absence of violence, a proposal is made here to think of the postconflict period in terms of the transformation of the rules on the use of violence. The main aspects of the professionalisation programme accelerated and deepened via the Plan Colombia are analysed in an attempt to grasp the terms under which the Colombian military's expertise is understood. Finally, the reorganisation of violence in the postconflict period is discussed by mapping out the main features of military training programmes in the context of peace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Peace Agreement or Final Agreement between the Colombian government and the FARC-EP brought the armed conflict with the guerrilla organisation to an end. The agreement is seen as a model due to several of its features: among others, its gender and ethnic perspective, and its methodology of negotiation in the midst of conflict. This introductory article seeks to present the background to the peace process and the main lines of the agreement reached. It also makes a preliminary assessment of compliance with the accords (as of April 2019) and the prospects of success. A general context is thereby provided to the papers included in this issue of Revista CIDOB d'Afers Internacionals, which is dedicated to the peace process in Colombia, and to understanding the framework within which its contents should be interpreted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses how the Nasa indigenous community of Toribío (Cauca, Colombia) has configured mental reconciliation models in spite of the violent feedback they received during the armed conflict in Colombia. For this analysis, the theoretical perspective of cognitive institutionalism is used. Empirical evidence was collected mainly through semi-structured interviews and focus groups. The results suggest that strategies of peaceful resistance, such as the creation of Permanent Assembly Sites, the Community Life Plan and the Indigenous Guard, have contributed to producing successful solutions in the search for reconciliation and peace in indigenous territories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The debate over the different possible Colombian postconflict scenarios led the aim of a stable and lasting peace to be connected with the realisation of agrarian reform and guaranteed access to land as a way to overcome territorial differences and the urban'rural divide. To achieve this, structural transformation of the Colombian countryside and acceptance of the territorial approach became central parts of the Peace Agreement (or Final Agreement) signed in 2016 between the Colombian government and the FARC-EP. This paper analyses the territorial approach adopted in this agreement, as well as its level of implementation so far, and accepts that the lack of progress on the territoriality of the Colombian conflict will make it difficult to achieve the objectives set out in the peace agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) processes focus on the individualisation of combatants, but the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP) opted for a collective reincorporation that combines conversion to a political party with the implementation of collective productive projects in the framework of the Economías Sociales del Común (Ecomún) cooperative. But although it was a strategic bet, environmental factors have not helped this model come to fruition. This paper analyses the strategic, organisational and operational changes undergone by the FARC-EP in its process of transition to legal political life, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses, as well as the challenges it faces to remain united in legality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, the world's armed conflicts have mainly taken place within countries. As a result, it is all the more important to investigate internal armed conflicts from underexplored perspectives, such as the use of non-violent tactics by insurgent groups. It is in this sense that some scholars are using the term 'rebel diplomacy' to refer to strategic relations between insurgents and international actors in order to achieve political and military objectives in times of war. Taking as a case study the recent peace process between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP) and the Colombian government, this paper analyses the role of the guerrilla group's rebel diplomacy during the peace process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The start of the negotiations in 2012 between the government of Juan Manuel Santos and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP) over an agreement to put an end to the Colombian armed conflict was marked by the absence of women. In response, women's and feminist movements raised their voices to press the government for inclusion in the process. Due to their intervention, women's invisibility was alleviated by the creation of the Gender Subcommittee, the first of its kind in the world, and the gendered approach was mainstreamed. This paper analyses the meaning of war in the lives of Colombian women and the journey women's and feminist movements took to gain recognition for their experiences and needs in the 2016 Peace Agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to present a historical series of Colombian GDP from 1888 to 2013. For that purpose we have employed an expenditure approach to reconstruct the GDP for the period 1888-1929. We linked it to the official statistics data of the DANE. The result is expressed in 2011 purchasing parity dollars for international comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agroindustrial wastes are a type of biomass generated mainly by organic materials processing, which come from animal handling, plant cultivation and fruit and vegetable processing. The aim of this paper is to propose possible alternatives to use 19 wastes generated in the Colombian agroindustry by fruit processing. These alternatives of use are formulated based on the waste physicochemical characterization, which was carried out through proximate analysis, ultimate analysis, analysis of structural carbohydrates and extractives compounds, total phenolic compounds content and antioxidant capacity. It was found that most of the wastes can be used as raw material in thermochemical processes. It was also found that the coffee grounds have the greatest alternatives of use, which goes from co-combustion with mineral coal to obtaining secondary metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction- There is a great interest in reducing the use of fossil fuels due to the variation of prices and strong regulatory controls, which is why methods are being sought to reduce fuel consumption in internal combustion engines, such as the supply of products from the Hydrolysis of the water in the engine manifold. Objective- The objective of this paper is to present the results of an experimental methodology applied to estimate the mechanical and environmental performance of a vehicle fueled with gasoline and natural gas, when the engine is supplied with products resulting from the hydrolysis of water. Methodology- For the supply of said products to the vehicle, an external hydrolysis device was installed, and the vehicle has been instrumented with a fifth wheel, temperature and engine revolutions speed sensors, to perform acceleration tests on a flat road and a road with longitudinal slope angle. Additionally, torque and power tests with a chassis dynamometer, and pollutant emissions and fuel consumption tests were carried out. The tests were conducted in the outskirts of the city of Bogotá DC - Colombia, located at 2650 m above sea level. Results- The results show that the products of hydrolysis do not improve the mechanical performance of the vehicle, since they increase the time to arrive at the speeds defined in the acceleration tests up to 18% in the engine with gasoline and 7% in the engine with natural gas, and the torque and power are increase by around 1%. On the other hand, the results of the polluting emissions tests indicate that fuel consumption is reduced by about 7%. Conclusions- The results indicate that the performance of the vehicle does not improve, although fuel consumption decreases, the environmental performance does not decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to identify relevant methodological and contextual aspects of scientific initiation projects in the virtual programs in journalism and communication offered by the Politécnico Grancolombiano. The methodology employed a systematic review of the formative research projects in the institution's repository. By applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, an analysis matrix was constructed from all the documents deposited in the repository over a set period of time. The results show that 52% of high-quality research projects feature students from different regions of Colombia, highlighting the existence of collaborative work in virtual environments. The communicative products exhibit a clear relationship with students' formative communication skills. The study conclusion proposes an ongoing analysis with tutors from different levels (as a pedagogical strategy) to consolidate projects in both programs at a disciplinary level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslides triggered by rain have caused many human and economic losses in Colombia, especially in the department of Antioquia. According to DesInventar database since 1900 until 2017, 3478 landslides were recorded in the territory of Antioquia and these have left over 2065 fatalities and 74654 damaged homes. This paper presents spatial and temporal rainfall variability and their relationship with historical landslides events under the influence of ENSO in the nine sub-regions of Antioquia. For this purpose, daily rainfall data obtained from 27 IDEAM weather station and 5368 landslides reported in SIMMA and DesInventar database were used in a time window analysis between 1985 and 2016 (32 years). Also, temporal analyses and correlations were performed in daily, monthly and annual scale. According to the results of this study, the occurrence of landslides exhibits bimodal behavior according to temporal rainfall variability, and the strong effect of the cold phase of the ENSO (La Niña) has a strong influence on them. Moreover, landslides showed significant sensitivity to the time-series of rainfall linked to the different sub-regions of Antioquia. The understanding of spatial-temporal rainfall variability in tropical mountains environments is a key element for an appropriate risk management and early warning system implementation and design for hydro-meteorological hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the application of a remote acquisition tool for sampling and measurement of discontinuities properties of rock masses, based on the interpretation of three-dimensional images, is evaluated. The applied method integrates a wide experimental plan in both, field and computer laboratory, to collect structural data such as orientation, persistence and spacing of discontinuities in a rock mass taken as a case study. Simultaneously, an intensive work of data collection in the field was carried out by conventional methodologies using compass and tape, for comparative purposes and statistical validation. The results allow to establish the advantages of using unconventional techniques, in terms of quality and quantity of information, as well as efficiency in terms of time spent for filed data collection. Through the semi-automatic analysis of three-dimensional images, geological mapping and objective characterization of discontinuities for geotechnical purposes were achieved, constituting a powerful tool with great potential for use in road and mining projects in Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the evaluation of oxidation of organic matter in water via the determination of kinetic rate indicating the frequency at which the stream loses or gains oxygen and nitrification rates and the decay of pathogens. The fee calculation defines the process of auto purification and assimilative capacity of the organic load on the Frio River, the main source of potable and irrigation of the municipalities of Floridablanca and Girón in the Department of Santander, Colombia. 26.6 km of river were modeled, ie, the entire main channel basin, which characteristic is to be a highly oxygenated mountain river in its upper part, but in the low polluted area, which capture 26.2 Ton.d-1 of biodegradable material from household waste. The calculation of these rates is developed through correlations and numerical analysis of concentrations in each of the (7) reach of the river. The model of behavior of: Oxigen, carbon, nitrogen, pathogens and suspended solids through QUAL2K, in order to corroborate the behavior of the calculated rates: studies of dispersion coefficient, morphometric and hydraulic analyzes were developed. Knowing the auto purification of water sources is critical to establishing sustainability strategies.This paper presents the evaluation of oxidation of organic matter in water via the determination of kinetic rate indicating the frequency at which the stream loses or gains oxygen and nitrification rates and the decay of pathogens. The fee calculation defines the process of auto purification and assimilative capacity of the organic load on the Frio River, the main source of potable and irrigation of the municipalities of Floridablanca and Girón in the Department of Santander, Colombia. 26.6 km of river were modeled, ie, the entire main channel basin, which characteristic is to be a highly oxygenated mountain river in its upper part, but in the low polluted area, which capture 26.2 Ton.d-1 of biodegradable material from household waste. The calculation of these rates is developed through correlations and numerical analysis of concentrations in each of the (7) reach of the river. The model of behavior of: Oxigen, carbon, nitrogen, pathogens and suspended solids through QUAL2K, in order to corroborate the behavior of the calculated rates: studies of dispersion coefficient, morphometric and hydraulic analyzes were developed. Knowing the auto purification of water sources is critical to establishing sustainability strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the externalities generated by the implementation of the instrumental policy of school breakfasts in Santiago de Cali. It starts by a historical analysis of the educational sector in Colombia, pointing out its pros and cons, which are given by the lack of coordination of the resources allocated and the policies. Also, a reflection about the meaning of public policies’ coordination and institutional change, which are integrated by the transferences of policies implemented through legal instruments, is proposed through the examination of public policy and public management. In this regard, the State has played a relevant role regarding the obligations in the educative sector: disponibility, access, quality, and permanence. Finally, the paper reveals the results of such instrumental policy in the educative sector and the whole city, showing evidence regarding the creation of public value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the judicial poverty subsidy in Colombia. In paper, such institution aims to guarantee the access to justice of those people that cannot afford legal defense. However, it is argued that it is insufficient to satisfy such objective. On the one hand, it has legal design problems, such as i) the precarious definition of what it means to be poor, ii) the denial of the subsidy to legal persons, and iii) the confusion regarding how to prove the situation of “poverty”. On the other hand, there are practical application problems, such as i) the lack of investment to materialize the subsidy and ii) the scarce regulation and institutional surveillance of poverty lawyers, as well as their non-existence on the margins of Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the role played by the indigenous knowledges of the People of the Centre -a multiethnic indigenous group of Colombian Amazonia- in the Witoto Ethnic Safeguarding Plan of Leticia (PSE). This is one of the 34 Plans that the Colombian Constitutional Court compelled the State to create and implement to protect indigenous peoples threatened by internal forced displacement. Drawing on anticolonial and decolonizing research and on subaltern perspectives on human rights, the paper focuses on the PSE as an intercultural and unequal dialogue that forces indigenous people to express themselves in the State and Court's discourses of rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the concepts of "special ecological importance area", "excludable mining zone" and "mining concession", to show the tension between two activities of public interest: the mining activity and the protection duty over special ecological importance areas. Also, the paper analyzes whether mining concessions and environmental licenses create or not, acquired rights for the mining concessioner. This, to conclude if the execution conditions of the mining concessions can be modified due to the creation of a new special ecological importance area, declared and defined as such after the creation of the mining contract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the causes and proposes possible solutions for one of the principle reasons of Colombian backwardness in infrastructure: properties availability. The paper discusses "systemic" and "specific" causes. In relation to the systemic ones, it highlights the need of demanding proper feasibility studies, of changing the moment in which the properties are being acquired and of establishing a government institution that coordinates the entire process more effectively. In relation to the specific ones, it discusses the necessity of determining that a resolution of expropriation based on an infrastructure project should be considered a motive of public utility without discussion. In addition, it proposes to abolish the "pre-judicial process" on the basis of understanding what the Constitutional Court have said as well as establishing a faster and more reliable mechanism of setting the price of the property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes establishing a critical dialogue between the most recent theoretical developments on populism and some of the most notable historiographical studies on the political process of Jorge Eliécer Gaitán in the mid-20th-century. The study is based on a conceptual framework of populism, which is understood as a process involving the creation of identities and political solidarities. The current paper looks to investigate the relevance of a complementary reading of the gaitanist process. It is within the dialogue between historiography and political theory that this paper suggests rethinking the relationship between the populist phenomenon, democracy, and violence in Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yet little is known in Colombia about the quality of teachers. In this paper we ask about the academic standard of people who study and obtain a tertiary degree in education. Results show a negative relationship between results in the standardized test to enter higher education (Saber 11°) and the probability of studying (and obtaining) a tertiary degree in education (relative to other areas of study). We estimate that this probability is five times higher for people with results among the lowest scores than for people with results among the highest. This difference broadens when we consider only women. The paper discusses some hypotheses that would explain these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to disclose the response capacity of the Health Information Systems (HIS) in Colombia to support an inspection, surveillance and control model (ISC) driven towards the monitoring of the risks undermining the access, use and quality of the health services. This paper is based on a descriptive cross-sectional study under a risk management approach including a review of the regulations framework dealing with the threats to the effective enjoyment of the right to health (EERH) and the characteristics of the information reported by the actors in the system, which is required to carry out the said monitoring. The data supporting the monitoring to the health care processes and its impact on the population health are not enough to appropriately oversee the risks involved. Advantage should be taken from the changes currently taking place in the health system in order to rethink how the system performance is taken as monitored object. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central issue addressed by this paper is the determination of the attributes that companies in Antioquia demand from their managerial level officers. It derives from an empirical study whose objective was to recognize the opinion of top executives concerning the expectations companies have about the qualities of a good administrative officer. The research method used was qualitative, descriptive and exploratory in nature. The information was generated through a review of literature and in-depth interviews with top organization executives. The value-generating attributes that employers seek in their managers were determined; among them, humanistic formation was considered the most important one; technical knowledge is considered a rather hygienic factor. The results of the study lend themselves to be used as criteria for the analysis of business programs management, both at the undergraduate and MBA levels, when it comes to curricula reviews, teaching and learning methods and faculty development, all of which may contribute to achieve and/or further the competitive advantages of the institutions offering the programs and their graduates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Holothuria grisea, despite not being considered a commercial resource has been the subject of illegal extractions in Colombia, a fact that becomes more serious due to the empty of biological information of these organisms. For this reason the density population and size structure of H. grisea were evaluated in three sectors south of the gulf of Morrosquillo from April to November 2015. To this end, three circular transects were located each month in each sampling site covering an area of 300 m², where individuals were counted and measured in situ. The average density of H. grisea in the study area was 0.4 ind m-2, with the highest values in the La Ahumadera (1.09 ± 0.11 ind m-2) and the lowest values in Banco de Arena (0.02 ± 0.004 ind m-2). The analysis of variance showed a significance in the values of density and size of H. grisea in the studied sectors. The species presented a unimodal distribution of sizes with an average size of 13.5 ± 0.9 cm with a minimum size of 2.5 and a maximum of 30 cm, intermediate sizes generally showed a higher representativeness throughout this study (77.2%). The biological aspects presented in this paper are of great importance for the conservation of this species and corresponds to an advance in the knowledge of the Holothuroidea class in the Colombian Caribbean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper tries to identify the impact of the different types of innovation on export behavior in the Colombian food and beverage industry. The application of the propensity score matching method reveals that only technological innovation has a significant effect on the sector's export behavior. In particular, product innovation impacts positively the internationalization of large companies, while process innovation does so in SMEs. The differences in strategic and innovative strategy explain the heterogeneity in the impacts obtained by the size of business and the type of innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the discussion on the most appropriate method for measuring productivity. It takes into account the TFP, the productivity of capital, and labor productivity, as well as its interpretations, scope, and relations. Additionally, it analyzes the impacts of this discussion on the evolution of the Colombian minimum wage over the period 2001-2016. Finally, it discusses the relationship between the growth of productivity and the distribution of income between capital and labor, proposing a critique of the neoclassical perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the latest years, one of the major concerns with political systems around the world is what some authors have called the "democratic recession". Some recent discussions on these issues focus on the capacity of the state to respond to the demands of its citizens. This paper studies the relationship between state capacity -understood as state performance on areas such as providing security, justice administration, tax collection and guaranteeing rights-, and support for democratic principles and Colombia's regime. The empirical results show that lower levels of assessment of state's capacity are associated to lower levels of support for democratic principles and performance. These results are discussed in the context of the peace agreements between the Colombian government and the FARC guerrillas, as well as the implications posed by this relationship in regards to the challenges and opportunities for post conflict Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the welfare effects of improvements in investment in education and infrastructure with public-private participation, in a fiscal framework of a small and open economy for the Colombian economy. A DSGE model is built where families make decisions on human capital and the government finances megaprojects by placing infrastructure bonds. The results suggest greater effects in the long-term adjustment and improvements in social welfare when public spending is focused on sectors with higher levels of employment and technological and innovation improvements are introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]