Colombian President Petro Calls for Mobilization to Promote Agrarian Reform

Colombian President Gustavo Petro (C). Photo: X/ @CongresoVisible

July 11, 2024 Hour: 8:13 am

While authorities have increased land distribution to conflict victims, the land courts remain overwhelmed.

On Wednesday, Colombian President Gustavo Petro called for a massive mobilization of farmers on July 20th to push for agrarian reform that would allow for better land distribution in the country.

“We seek a massive mobilization of Colombian farmers for agrarian reform this July 20th across the country,” he wrote on his X account.

July 20th is Colombia’s Independence Day, traditionally commemorated with a military parade and the inauguration of a new session of Congress.

This week, thousands of farmers peacefully took over the state-run National Land Agency (ANT) to demand progress in the agrarian reform process. Although the farmers support President Petro, they are demanding that he fulfill his promises related to the approval of agrarian reform.

Colombia solicitará ante la ONU ampliar el plazo para implementar el Acuerdo de Paz porque otros gobiernos detuvieron la reforma agraria, la transformación territorial y el esclarecimiento judicial. Debe haber una transformación real de la vida de la gente, seguridad y… https://t.co/V89jByk6af
— Donka Atanassova Iakimova (@Donka_At) July 10, 2024

The text reads, “Colombia will request the United Nations to extend the deadline to implement the Peace Agreement because previous governments stopped agrarian reform, territorial transformation, and judicial clarification. There must be a real transformation of the people’s lives, security and opportunities for a decent life. For this reason, the Government of Change corrects the course, adjusting the strategic framework to achieve total peace and the participatory implementation of the agreements.”

The text in the inner box reads, “President Gustavo Petro and Foreign Affairs Minister Luis Murillo will participate in New York in a new session of the United Nations Security Council on Colombia, in which for the first time the Colombian government will present a report of the state to the implementation of the Peace Agreement.“

During the electoral campaign that led him to the presidency, the leftist leader promised better land distribution in Colombia, aiming to address one of the main structural causes of the armed conflict that erupted over seven decades ago.

So far, however, progress in agrarian reform has been minimal. While authorities have increased land distribution to conflict victims, the land courts remain overwhelmed and land restitution rulings have been delayed for decades.

“Let every municipal agrarian reform committee, every regional coordinator… let every farmers’ organization prepare for the rural mobilization for democracy and rural justice,” Petro urged.

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