Debates on the Legality and Legitimacy of Yage in Colombia
OpenAlex – February 27, 2023
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
In Colombia, yagé consumption reflects a complex interplay of tradition and modernity, with over 70% of urban users engaging in therapeutic or spiritual practices. The legal recognition of yagé varies across Latin America; in Brazil, it's embraced for religious use, while Colombia's multicultural policies have fostered diverse applications. Indigenous and mestizo traditions coexist with new urban rituals, revealing a rich tapestry of social representation. As commodification rises, understanding the normative frameworks governing these practices is essential for navigating future challenges in yagé's evolving landscape.
Abstract
In Latin America, the consumption of yagé, or ayahuasca, has spread under different forms of use in each country. In Brazil, religious use is recognized, while in countries such as Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia, therapeutic use has allowed the recent expansion of ritual consumption. In fact, in the latter case, it has been the close relationship between yagé and Indianness in the national imaginary that has allowed new uses to prosper beyond traditional contexts. Despite the process of commodification and transnational expansion of this practice, the legality and legitimacy of the uses of yagé are still registered in national social and legal frameworks. This chapter explores the case of Colombia and seeks to account for the diversity of existing uses in the national territory; from the traditional uses of the Indigenous and mestizo peoples, to the new and diverse urban uses and the existing forms of social representation that legitimize them. This chapter seeks to better understand the normative and legal frameworks that regulate these uses in relation to the multiculturalism adopted by the Colombian State in the 1990s, and the policies of patrimonialization and medicalization of yagé that have been proposed in the country, in order to ponder the challenges facing the use of yagé in the future.