| Summary: | This article studies the building of a national park system in Colombia, with reference to other countries in Latin America, as part of what can be called the Nature State, that is, the expansion of the state’s remit to include caring for, and not just exploiting, nature. In the absence of an environmental movement that lobbied for the establishment of protected areas, it was the concentration of power in the president that led to the initial building of national parks. After explaining what it terms “gentleman’s politics,” the article reconstructs the creation on the ground of Tayrona National Park, which inclued the eviction of peasants and a public fight with those who promoted high-end international tourism. This story shows how the Nature State emerged with the help of certain state institutions and in opposition to others, and how it contributed to strengthen the central state, gaining legitimacy in the eyes of some constituents but not of others.
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