"Represent and do not command": Peasant leaders in Santiago del Estero, Argentina

Abstract

This article investigates the representation system that operated between the organizations that made the Peasant Movement of Santiago del Estero on the 1990-2001 period, on its different levels -local, regional and provincial-. Through a study case its analyzed the selection, formation and replacing system of leaders in a local organization, from the insiders point of view. We concluded that the system is based on a main norm where the representatives must "represent and do not command". "Represent" because it's hoped that they give voice of decisions and questions from one organizative level to the other, to the "bases", to the families which are members of the Commission as faithfully as possible. And "do not command", which means that the representatives charge shouldn't imply a power differential over the other families. The representative rotation system sustain to comply this rule of "represent and do not command" presents the challenge of capacitate new representatives and give continuity to the representation function. This system prevents the representatives from being representation specialists, force work restrictions on the field and begins to create tension between the commitment to the organization and the own space -and family- with and uncertain conclusion, and which should be analyzed on future investigations.