La cartografía electoral del departamento de Caldas: elecciones 2005 – 2007

Abstract

This article presents some reflections on the relations between territory and power within the framework of electoral behavior in Caldas State. The analysis examines the context in which 2006 presidential and congressional elections were held as well as the electoral behavior at the level of Governor's office, state assembly, major's office, municipal and local administrative councils in 2007.

Issues such as violence, narcotraffic, and the incidence of parapolitics in Caldas State are also examined. Finally, some hypotheses about the electoral behavior and the incidence of political amendment bill 2003 on
Colombian elections are established.

The structure of the document is as follows: Chapter I. Previous considerations, The problem of Territory and Power; Chapter II. The Context of the Electoral Process; Chapter III. The consolidation of Presidential Personalism. Chapter IV. Reshape of the Colombian Political landscape or Reaffirmation of Uribe's Political Project? Where and how do the Colombian political supporters vote?; Chapter V. Caldas' political cartography. Chapter VI. Manizales and the Reafirmation of Uribe's political project. Finally, in Chapter VII. Some last considerations are established on the impacts of the Political amendment bill and the
balance of Caldas' electoral crisis.