The 'Rebusque' as a Category of Analysis: A Case Study of Bogota’s Neighborhood Stores during the COVID-19 Pandemic ; El rebusque como categoría de análisis: caso de estudio de las tiendas de barrio bogotanas en la pandemia del COVID-19 ; O “rebusque” como categoria de análise: estudo de caso das lojas de bairro de Bogotá na pandemia de COVID-19

In Bogotá, during the COVID-19 context, the dynamics of rebusque* transformed as a result of measures implemented by the mayor’s office and the national government. The relations between State, market, and citizens expanded amidst an exacerbation of precarization and vulnerability. In this context, this article theorizes the category of rebusque within the relational cosmos of neighborhood stores in Bogota and the transformations they faced in the early months of the pandemic (May-July 2020) to adapt to the situation and ensure their economic survival. Our analysis unfolds along three axes: the specific economic difficulties faced by neighborhood shopkeepers, the tension introduced by rebusque to the formal/informal dichotomy, and finally, the ways in which neighborhood shop­keepers theorize politics, the state, and institutions. In terms of methodology, we employed ethnography as a theoretical-practical ally, and used methods of participant observation and open interviews to construct our reflections. We conclude that neighborhood stores in Bogota were negatively affected by the institutional measures adopted, being forced to transform their dynamics of interaction with costumers to survive economically. The rebusque is constituted relationally as an expression of economic precariousness and, in our case study, it unveils the decay of the neoliberal fantasy, highlighting its violent and insecure aspect. * The act of finding ways to make a living or earn money through informal or unconventional means. It often involves taking on odd jobs, engaging in small-scale entrepreneurial activities, or using resourcefulness to overcome economic challenges. ; En Bogotá, durante la coyuntura del COVID-19, las dinámicas del rebusque se transformaron como resultado de las medidas promulgadas por la alcaldía y el gobierno nacional. Las relaciones entre Estado, mercado y ciudadanía se extendieron en medio del recrudecimiento de la precarización y la vulnerabilidad de los cuerpos. En este contexto, este artículo teoriza la ...