Although there is notable progress, there are still areas of Córdoba where the process of land restitution to victims of the armed conflict has not been able to begin due to the presence of illegal armed groups. This prevents access by officials in charge of collecting evidence and carrying out cadastral studies necessary to determine cases that merit restitution.
As revealed by Ana Cristina Muñoz, territorial director of the National Land Restitution Unit, There are areas that are “disabled by public forces” due to security and risk issues, which has hindered the progress of restitution processes in these areas.
“Why is there delay in many of our cases? Because as we know, the territory is covered with many complexities and there are areas that are disabled by the public force. In other words, we cannot enter for alarm and security reasons,” Muñoz explained.
This situation of insecurity has forced the Land Restitution Unit to postpone or slow down the procedures in those regions where the control of illegal armed groups represents a risk for the personnel in charge of carrying out the necessary procedures for restitution.
Despite the important progress achieved in the last 13 years, with 394 land restitution sentences issued in Córdoba, of which 95% have been favorable for the victims, the presence of armed actors in certain areas continues to be an obstacle significant to guarantee full access to justice and comprehensive reparation.
Muñoz recognized that there are still emblematic and complex cases that require additional effort to resolve, and the lack of security in some territories aggravates this situation by preventing the collection of evidence and the carrying out of the required studies.
Although the Land Restitution Unit has a specialized team to address these emblematic casesinsecurity in certain regions continues to represent a significant challenge in the search for justice and reparation for the victims of the armed conflict in Córdoba and Bajo Cauca, Antioquia.
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