BLANQUITUD AND BLANCURA (WHITENESS):

A CRITICAL APPROACH TO BOLÍVAR ECHEVERRÍA

Abstract

Bolívar Echeverría argued that modernity capitalist developed an ethos based on behavioral and consumption habits conducive to capitalism being generated: whiteness (blancura). From this, a racism developed that established differentiation criteria based on compliance with capitalist ethics. Thus, he distinguished blanquitud from blancura. The latter defined by the color of the skin which, unlike pre-capitalist racism, was no longer decisive for the hierarchical structuring of society.

This paper proposes a critique of the previous approach under the thesis that the blancura and the blanquitud cannot be separated. This since the somato-corporal ontologization (primarily skin color) was the necessary element for the establishment of colonial regimes, for the processes of primary accumulation necessary for the development of capitalism, as well as for the current consolidation of the capitalist forms of production.