Care Infrastructures in Andean Rural context: The case of Monguì

Abstract

This article examines rural care infrastructures as spatial, political, and collective systems that challenge dominant notions of rurality as a passive or residual space. Through fieldwork in Monguí, Colombia, the study identifies three types of care infrastructures − extended family/neighbourhood, sustained collective, and emergency collective − and analyses how they emerge in response to state neglect, environmental policies, and extractive pressures. The article argues that care must be rethought as a territorial function, not a private or feminized burden, and explores how spatial strategies can redistribute care responsibilities. Collective infrastructures, often rooted in informal or community-based practices, serve as alternatives to centralized planning and financial development. The study calls for a reconfiguration of rural planning that acknowledges dispersion, autonomy, and the potential for tourists and external actors to become co-responsible participants in sustaining rural life.