La legitimidad de la palabra.

This paper attempts to demonstrate that the role of traditional authorities in today's Guinea Bissau is embedded in a long-term history that goes back to their pre-colonial and colonial history. Looking back to the situation of traditional authorities by the end of the colonial period (the early '70s), the paper discusses the different configurations of legitimacy of present-day authorities in relation to both local population and State authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]