Cooperativismo y empoderamiento: historia de vida de la Cooperativa Ecoturística El Paraíso

The objective of this article is to understand the intervention of cooperativism in the empowerment of the members of the Ecotourism Cooperative El Paraiso, in the state of Queretaro, Mexico. Under a qualitative methodology and a narrative design, the life history of this group was constructed. The results show that empowerment is reflected in "power with", "power to" and "power from within", which are detonated through personal aspects, close relationships and collectivity. The efforts of the cooperatives translate into the overcoming of individuals to improve their source of income (offer of ecotourism services), without leaving aside the pillars of sustainability.