Construction of Othernesses: Urban yukpas in marabinian press (1980- 1990)

Abstract

The settlement of Yukpas (originally from the Perija Sierra) in Maracaibo in the middle 70s, brought new dynamics of urban space occupancy. We address this article on the perception that the marabinian society had on the urban yukpa, from a local press research from 1980 to 1990. The analysis was done from the theoretical perspective of the identities of García (1996), using three symbolic codes: space, civilian and temporary. The exposed data and the approximations demonstrate constructions processes of the identity of the locals as opposed to the negative images of the yukpa, linked to the type of home, particularities of settlement and their everyday activities. . All this implied a redefinition of the local identity towards an otherness, which is now present, emphasizing the denial of the city as a space for yukpa settlement.