The Political Economy of Post-Conflict Reparations: Assessing Land Restitution Failure and Agrarian Tension in Post-Accord Colombia

Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies | Vol. 11, No. 4, April 2020 | pp. 28–36

DOI: 10.46882/2020/GJPCS/110401

Article Type: Original Research Paper

Title: The Political Economy of Post-Conflict Reparations: Assessing Land Restitution Failure and Agrarian Tension in Post-Accord Colombia

Authors: Maria Camila Gomez¹, Sibusiso K. Khumalo²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Department of Political Science, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia; ²Department of Public Law, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

Abstract:
Sustainable transitional justice frameworks depend on the timely execution of economic reparations and land restitution to redress historical structural marginalization. This study analyzes the political economy of land redistribution programs in Colombia following the 2016 Havana peace agreement, tracking institutional performance up to early 2020. Utilizing agrarian registry data alongside field interviews with 110 displaced smallholders, we examine the structural barriers slowing rural justice. The quantitative findings indicate that less than 12% of formalized rural land claims have resulted in secure legal titles, leaving structural property imbalances uncorrected. Our regression models establish that rural municipalities with lagging restitution timelines report a 38% increase in land invasions and localized violence from re-mobilized paramilitary groups. This trend is driven by bureaucratic obstruction and corporate opposition to returning confiscated lands. The article concludes that symbolic transitional justice achievements cannot prevent conflict when material wealth disparities remain unchanged. We argue that long-term stabilization requires creating independent land tribunals backed by direct state enforcement mechanisms.

Keywords: Land Restitution; Colombia Peace Accord; Political Economy; Agrarian Grievances; Reparations Failure; Paramilitary Mobilization

Manuscript Timeline: Received: June 22, 2019; Revised: September 05, 2019; Accepted: November 18, 2019; Published: April 15, 2020

Citation: Gomez, M. C., & Khumalo, S. K. (2020). The Political Economy of Post-Conflict Reparations: Assessing Land Restitution Failure and Agrarian Tension in Post-Accord Colombia. Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, 11(4), 28–36. DOI: 10.46882/2020/GJPCS/110401

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