La otra frontera. El espolio perpetuo: el saqueo del patrimonio cultural indígena. El caso de la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia

Abstract

This article analyzes the systematic plundering of indigenous cultural heritage in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, between the 19th and 20th centuries. It examines how foreign explorers and institutions, under the guise of “scientific colonialism”, removed archaeological and ethnographic objects through looting, deception, or government complicity. The study highlights the decontextualization of these assets in global museums and the urgent need to reclaim cultural sovereignty and the collective memory of the affected communities.