The Future Arrives Every 45 Days: Temporal Imaginaries and the Coca Assemblage in Sierra de la Macarena, Colombia

This article explores the relationship between plants and the emergence of future imaginaries by addressing the role of the coca plant in shaping the temporal experiences of coca growers in Sierra de la Macarena, Colombia. In contrast to perspectives that interpret this activity merely as a survival strategy or profit-driven endeavor, the article highlights how the future—both as a temporality and a political project—is reimagined through the affective, economic, and prospective affordances that the plant offers in territories historically marked by political violence and precarious conditions. To support this argument, the paper examines coca assemblages and the affective encounters they generate during times of prosperity, war, and uncertainty. In conclusion, it is suggested that “illegal” economies, instead of being understood merely as criminal issues, should be viewed as a conflict between different temporal regimes and future imaginaries.