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Submitted May 12, 2026
Published 2026-05-25

Artículos académicos

Vol. 5 No. 3 (2026): Revista Contacto

Bila and the epistemological concepts of revolution and rebellion in the historical events of 1925 in the Gunayala region, Panama


DOI https://doi.org/10.48204/contacto.v5n3.9945

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References
DOI: 10.48204/contacto.v5n3.9945

Published: 2026-05-25

How to Cite

Castillo Díaz, B. D. (2026). Bila and the epistemological concepts of revolution and rebellion in the historical events of 1925 in the Gunayala region, Panama. Revista Contacto, 5(3). https://doi.org/10.48204/contacto.v5n3.9945

Abstract

The objective of this research is to comparatively analyze the concepts of revolution, rebellion, and the term guna bila (struggle, conflict), in order to understand, from a semantic and contextual perspective, the terms used to refer to the events of February 1925 in the Gunayala region, known in the historiographical canon as the “Kuna Revolution.” The concept of bila constitutes an expression of the Guna people's own ideological thought, rooted in their historical and collective memory long before the arrival of Europeans and clearly distinct from the colonial concept of revolution. Despite its cultural and epistemic relevance, bila has received little attention in academic circles, remaining primarily as living knowledge within the communities, where it serves as a reminder of the abuses perpetrated by the Panamanian colonial police in the Guna villages. The research employs a qualitative methodology that combines interviews with Guna elders with the analysis of documentary sources and secondary literature. The findings lead to the conclusion that bila possesses a profound symbolic connotation of struggle in the collective memory, spirituality, and community practices of the Guna people, becoming a fundamental axis for the commemoration and comprehensive understanding of the events of 1925 and their ongoing struggle, from a decolonial perspective.

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