In Colombia, the newly appointed Minister of Agriculture, Indalecio Dangond, has sparked controversy by proposing to replace the term "campesino" with "rural entrepreneur." Dangond argues that "campesino" has a negative connotation and that the new term would help create more effective policies for rural communities. The change was announced before Congress on September 8 and later reiterated on the social media platform X. However, the decision has drawn sharp criticism from various sectors of Colombian society. The term "campesino" holds deep cultural and historical significance in Colombia. It refers not only to people working in rural areas but also to those who were heavily affected by the country's decades-long armed conflict, which was fueled by extreme land inequality. Anthropologist Marta Saade has pointed out that changing the term could undermine efforts to address the historical injustices suffered by these communities. She argues that it would strip them of their cultural identity, their right to the land, and their traditional ways of organizing themselves. According to jurist Rodrigo Uprimny, nearly a quarter of Colombia's population—over 11 million people—identify as campesinos, and they are entitled to specific protections under the law. Uprimny warns that referring to them as "productive units" rather than "campesinos" risks ignoring their cultural diversity and the complex realities of rural life. He suggests that the minister's attitude toward rural communities may be more dismissive than the term itself. Critics also see the change as part of a broader political struggle. Lawyer Javier Revelo argues that the shift in language is a cultural attack by President Abelardo de la Espriella, a right-wing leader, against policies introduced by the previous leftist government, including agrarian reforms tied to the 2016 peace deal with the FARC. This concern is compounded by past allegations against Dangond, who was accused of misusing funds meant for small farmers to benefit a powerful local family before his appointment. Even within the government, the decision has not gone unchallenged. Influencer Manuela Ganadera argues that "campesino" is not a derogatory term and that rural workers should not be seen as stuck in poverty. She emphasizes that the term already reflects entrepreneurship and that changing it may do more harm than good.