Este artículo examina la forma como los indígenas ubicados en varios pueblos cercanos a la ciudad de Santa Marta (Nuevo Reino de Granada) establecieron acuerdos con representantes de la Corona española en esta zona de frontera del Caribe colombiano como mecanismo para evitar su exterminio y, a cambio recibieron de la corona un tratamiento especial. Primero recibieron una rebaja en sus tributos, luego sus caciques buscaron la exoneración de tributos de su familia, mas tarde fueron congregados en pueblos de indios y recibieron tierras comunales. Igual se señala que los indígenas una vez obtuvieron la categoría de vecinos, avanzaron en la utilización de la normativa político/administrativa para reclamar a su favor derechos adquiridos que consideraban hacían parte de ese pacto de reciprocidad y que eran puestos en duda por vecinos/notables de la ciudad de Santa Marta: exenciones en el tributo y, sobre todo acceso a tierras comunales. Dirección: Carrrera 85 E No. 43 – 86. Torre 2. Apartamento 706. Torres de San Agustín II. Barrio El Caney. Cali.No se tuvo ninguna financiación.
This article examines the ways indigenous towns located in several villages near the city of Santa Marta (New Kingdom of Granada) established agreements with representatives of the Spanish Crown in this border zone of the Colombian Caribbean as a mechanism to avoid their extermination and, in return they received from the crown a special treatment. First they received a reduction on their taxes, then their tribal chiefs looked for the exoneration of taxes to their families, later they were congregated in villages of Indians and they received communal grounds. It equally indicates that the nativesonce obtained the neighbors' category, advanced in the use of the political / administrative regulation to claim some acquired rights in their favor that they considered were part of that reciprocal agreement and that were questioned by the neighbors and noble people of the city of Santa Marta: exemptions in the tax tribute and, especially access to communal grounds.