Despite the inconveniences that the agrarian reform has had to start with the purchase of land, today the first 3,500 hectares that will benefit more than 6,100 rural families in 16 municipalities of 13 departments of the country.
For this, an event will be held from the Costa Azul property, in the Las Lomas village in Montería (Córdoba), which will be attended by President Gustavo Petro. Here a 114-hectare property will be delivered.
(You can also read: ‘We are ready to start buying land’: Cecilia López)
This was purchased in mid-February by the National Land Agency (ANT) from the Victims’ Fund after recovering it from the assets of the former commander of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, Salvatore Mancuso, extradited to the United States, and will now be awarded to landless peasant women. in that region as part of social justice and contribution to Total Peace of the National Government.
Who will receive the land?
In total, the first purchase is for 29 properties, which represent 3,532 hectares of land. The amount of this acquisition increased to about 22,000 million pesos.
The first parcel of land will be divided as follows:
• 169 hectares for peasant communities, 93 percent of which are rural women in Montería and San Jacinto (Bolívar).
• 127 hectares for people in the reincorporation process in compliance with the Peace Agreement, located in three Territorial Spaces for Training and Reincorporation-ETCR, in Tumaco (Nariño), San Vicente del Caguán (Caquetá) and Icononzo (Tolima).
• 3,236 hectares for indigenous communities in Sabanas de San Ángel and Santa Marta (Magdalena), Agustín Codazzi (Cesar), Dagua (Valle del Cauca), Toledo and Chitagá (Norte de Santander), Hato Corozal (Casanare), Puracé (Cauca) , Balboa (Risaralda), Pijao (Quindío) and Pasto (Nariño).
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the families that received these properties will have support and training in complementary services such as associations, financial inclusion, marketing and logistics, among others, to strengthen their productive projects.
The general director of the ANT, Gerardo Vega Medina, highlighted that “more than one million hectares of land have already been formalized and it is expected to award at least 500,000 more in 2023.
Challenges of the agrarian reform
Cecilia López was an international consultant for the World Bank and the IDB.
Nestor Gomez. TIME
As told by the Minister of Agriculture Cecilia López At EL TIEMPO, the limitation that they have had so far in the reform has not been money, but one less offer in the right places that meet the requirements.
“All the demand for land is concentrated in the Caribbean region and Magdalena Medio. The problem is that most of the supply is not there. In total, we have 1.7 million extensions offered. From Fedegan We have received some 284,000, of which some 54,000 would be suitable throughout the country. However, there are only 3,563 in that area that meet the requirements of being productive and not linked to the conflict, among others. And this figure could rise to about 5,000. We are in a filter process,” said the minister.
For this reason, the Government wants the supply to be increased in order to advance in the agrarian reform. President Gustavo Petro even warned the ranchers that the agreement they signed last year is “for now” and that it would be “sad” if it were not true.
Given this, José Félix Lafaurie, president of Fedegán, replied that they will comply, but that this is only one of the sources that contemplates the peace agreement with the Farc and that the best lands are owned by the SAE.
