Legal Pluralism in Practice: Colombia’s New Framework for Indigenous Territorial Self-Government

Jul 3, 2025 | Marzia Genovese
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In May 2025, the Colombian government took a historic step toward realising a long-delayed constitutional promise: by means of a decree, it recognised the right of indigenous peoples to establish autonomous territorial entities with their own governments, legal systems and control over land and resources. This decree operationalises Articles 7 and 246 of the Colombian Constitution, which embraced the country’s ‘multiethnic and multicultural’ identity and pledged respect for indigenous jurisdiction.