This article proposes a reflection on the articulation between Colombian elites and indigenousness based on two processes that have reflected a democratic opening in this country: official recognition since 1991 of the fact that Colombia is a diverse nation, and the insertion of indigenous political forces into the electoral arena. More specifically, the article places emphasis on the elites' perception of indigenous people from colonial times to the present day. At the same time, it focuses on the rise of public figures that can be considered a —new— indigenous elite, whose action confronts expressions of power and authorities that are considered communal and traditional.