History of El Retorno

This process brought a strategy of appropriation by socola, slash and burn the forest, for the establishment of traditional crops and animal husbandry, basically looking for a family economy; this advance of colonization resulted indiscriminate deforestation.

The irrational use of natural resources, poor soil and the establishment of the emerging livestock, resulted in a reversion to colonization by the lack of viable economic alternatives; causing large social gaps between settlers

guiding them to negotiate their land and move to new areas of colonization or to San Jose.   This uncertain economy and lack of economic alternatives, linked to the geographical marginality and low institutional presence facilitated the consolidation of illicit crops, partially stabilizing the colonization process, but increased population and social costs.

Return occupies an area of 1,168,100 hectares, corresponding to 21% of the departmental territory; is administratively composed of 75 villages and approximately 25 draft constitution, five indigenous reserves, the county seat and 3 towns.   There are some trails that are shared administratively with the municipalities of San José del Guaviare and Calamar.

The municipality has 20,222 inhabitants Return (DANE census 93 Projected 2004) of which 85.9% are located in rural areas and 14.1% in urban areas; the indigenous population is composed of 667 inhabitants corresponding to 3.3% of the total municipal population.

Living standards are affected