Mambe in urban contexts, or the production of new forms of consumption

This article analyses the consumption of Amazonian mambe (coca powder) in urban contexts amongst non-indigenous populations in Leticia and Bogota. The interest in this research sprung from the observation of the steady rise in the consumption of mambe within the non-indigenous population. This observation made me question on the cultural contexts in which mambe is being used and incorporated and on the cultural meaning associated with its use. In Leticia, I focused my research on Universidad Nacional, where professors, researchers and students frequently consume mambe. In Bogota, I chose a homeopathy medical centre in which mambe is used for therapeutic reasons and a spiritual community guided by a re-ethnicized indigenous leader. The analysis delves into the social relationships along the new routes of circulation and consumption of mambe and into the new scenarios for inter-ethnic relations; and also into the construction of indigenous representations and identity formation of those who use mambe in diverse practices and meanings and the different ways in which mambe is consumed.