Territorial cohesion and relationships between actors in the post-conflict context in Caldas, Colombia

This article examines territorial cohesion in Caldas, Colombia, in a post-conflict setting, by integrating territorial cohesion and relational social capital through social network analysis (SNA). Starting from 44 seed institutions, we map an institutional network of 266 actors and 1017 ties, classifying relationships into five territorial cohesion dimensions (economic, social, institutional, environmental and integrated spatial development). We argue that, in post-conflict territories, cohesion is shaped less by dense connectivity than by the presence of strategically positioned bridging institutions and strong inter-institutional ties across dimensions. Results reveal a decentralised, low-density network with predominantly strong ties, in which local governments and higher-education institutions occupy central positions, while environmental and spatial-development linkages remain comparatively weak. The findings show how SNA-based relational cartography can inform territorial governance priorities and policy design in post-conflict contexts.