Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies

Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies | Vol. 1, No. 12, December 2010 | pp. 170–178

DOI: 10.46882/2010/GJPCS/000020

Research Article

The Political Economy of Transitional Justice: Evaluating Land Restitution Frameworks in Colombia

Alejandra Restrepo¹

¹Faculty of Jurisprudence, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia

Abstract: Land inequality is both a primary driver of internal armed conflict and a complex challenge for post-conflict transitional justice frameworks. This study evaluates the early institutional performance of land restitution pilot programs in rural Colombia following decades of internal displacement. Utilizing data from 480 restitution claims across three distinct departments, we run multivariate linear regressions to measure institutional processing speed and claimant safety metrics. The statistical analysis demonstrates that the average time required to clear a legal claim is 14.2 ± 2.1 months, with significant bottlenecks caused by incomplete regional land registries. Crucially, successful land titling without protective security infrastructure correlated with a 19% increase in localized threats from residual paramilitary actors (p < 0.05). The findings show that legal land titling is insufficient without providing rural credit extensions and physical security guarantees to returnees. The paper concludes that land restitution must be integrated with broader rural agrarian reforms to achieve sustainable, long-term stabilization.

Keywords: political economy, land restitution, Colombia conflict, agrarian reform, institutional bottlenecks, returnee security

Manuscript Timeline: Received August 01, 2010; Revised September 24, 2010; Accepted October 28, 2010; Published December 18, 2010.

Citation: Restrepo, A. (2010). The Political Economy of Transitional Justice: Evaluating Land Restitution Frameworks in Colombia. Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, 1(12), 170–178. DOI: 10.46882/2010/GJPCS/000020

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