The Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, asked Congress this Thursday to expedite the change in regulations that “hinder” agrarian reform, in a commemorative event for the eighth anniversary of the signing of the peace agreement with the FARC.
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“Here the agrarian reform was signed, but there is no will to carry out the agrarian reform. It is clear that we will not meet the goal if the regulations to carry out this land transfer are not approved”said Petro at the event held in the Plaza de Bolívar, in the center of Bogotá.
Comprehensive rural reform It is the first point of the agreement signed on November 24, 2016 with the FARC to put an end to more than half a century of internal armed conflict with that guerrilla.
“Despite the efforts of this Government, agrarian reform is far away. The global figure is 300,000 hectares delivered to farmers, out of three million that were agreed upon. That is, in this government 10% was delivered. The difference with the previous government is abysmal”assured the president.
When referring to investments in the Development Programs with a Territorial Approach (PDET), to promote the development of the areas hardest hit by the internal armed conflict, Petro assured that they have had “serious delays” in past governments and that “Money for the transformation of those areas” was stolen.
However, he assured that these monies will now be managed directly by the communities and recalled that for this purpose they seek to modify the General Participation System (SGP), which is one debate away from being approved in Congress, but warned that illegal armed organizations may try to take over these resources.
“The same armed organizations financed by drug trafficking would go after the capture of the money and transform it into money for war. Everything depends on the success in pacifying and the strength of popular power in the territories”asserted the president.
At the event they were the Deputy Secretary General of Peacebuilding of the United Nations, Rosemary DiCarlo, and Rodrigo Londoño, last head of the FARC and current president of the Comunes party, among others.
For his part, DiCarlo highlighted the progress in the implementation of the agreement and He urged the parties to advance on the points that for different reasons are lagging behind.
“We recognize the importance of the dialogue initiatives that have been initiated as a complement to the agreement and we call on those involved to follow the path of peace,” said the official.
Lack of implementation
Gustavo Petro
EFE
In turn, Londoño stressed that there is a lack of consensus for the implementation of political participation, the second point of the peace agreement.
Londoño was concerned about the insecurity that surrounds the peace signatories: “There are 438 signatories murdered, dozens of them are missing and hundreds are threatened and displaced,” he said, which is why he called for effective protection measures for the demobilized.
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“Mr. President, you signed a peace agreement in 1990 (as part of the M-19 guerrilla) and now you are responsible for complying with the 2016 peace agreement. Count on us,” Londono concluded.
EFE
