Land of imbunches and ch’uqtas: disability as a colonial device in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract

This essay analyzes disability as a colonial device in Latin America, highlighting the ontological and ethical-political implications of this, especially for bodies labeled as disabled. Likewise, this essay proposes an alternative response to this colonial ontology, recognizing the existence of non-normative bodies, imbunches and ch’uqtas -terms that refer to the identities and experiences of people who defy imposed/imported normativity-, as singular forms of diasporic resistance to hegemonic discourse and practices. The notion of disability is examined, then, from a critical perspective, as a sociocultural construct used as a tool of domination and oppression in the colonial context. It is thus argued that disability is imposed on bodies to maintain and reproduce structures of power and control. At the same time, the diaspora is posed as a space of openness and possibility for resistance against the colonial ontology of disability. From this place, we invite the readers to rethink and question the imposed categories, promoting a more inclusive and respectful conception of the diversity of bodies.