Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Colombia's land thieves going unpunished: land restitution chief
by Stephen Gill July 23, 2018
Colombia must punish those who teamed up with paramilitary death squads to steal land during the country’s armed conflict, according to the outgoing-director of the Land Restitution Unit.
While the Land Restitution Unit continues to make progress, already having returned some 300,000 of land that that were stolen during the armed conflict to the rightful owner, Ricardo Sabogal insists that what is lacking is criminal prosecution of those responsible.
. . .
With the temporary legalization of paramilitary groups in 1994, approximately 8 million hectares, an area the size of Costa Rica, have been stolen and sold, leaving millions of small farmers displaced and without land to return to.
The phenomenon has been so enormous, it has become one of the significant reasons why more than half of the country’s national territory is private property of, according to the UN, only 1% of the population.
More:
https://colombiareports.com/colombia-must-punish-those-guilty-of-land-theft-land-restitution-chief/