Territorio Rural, Gentrificación, Cultura y Naturaleza en el Sur de Esmeraldas

The paper presented is a preliminary analysis of the information gathered in the research project “Rural Communities in Ecuador: Relationships between Culture, Nature, Disasters, Tourism, and Cultural Heritage,” conducted by the Research Group in Cultural Studies (GIEC) at the Salesian Polytechnic University. This project has four components, one of which is research on conflicts surrounding tourism, nature, and culture. The study area is the Portete community, located on Zapotal Island, which belongs to the Bolívar parish, Muisne canton, Esmeraldas province. The objective of the paper was to discuss the concept of “gentrification” and its usefulness in analyzing displacement processes and territorial conflict in rural areas. The concept of gentrification was presented and discussed—in light of the collected field data—in relation to capitalist pressures from real estate markets, public policies, and different cultural practices and perspectives on territory. The presentation raised questions about the existence of "gentrified spaces," an idea that arises from the rethinking of the use of spaces by middle and upper class sectors interested in buying or maintaining properties on the island.