Colombia’s Interior Minister German Vargas said the government will protect those seeking to reclaim land, reported local media Tuesday.
The minister’s comments come a day after UN spokesperson Todd Howland said Colombia’s Victims and Land Restitution Law had “holes,” and those seeking to reclaim land were in danger.
The law, officially know as Law 1448, allows victims of violence committed by left-wing guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries, and state officials after 1985 to claim financial compensation. It also allows for displaced people to reclaim land that was stolen or obtained through intimidation and force by illegal armed groups.
Vargas asked for patience saying, “the process was just put together. Remember we’ve only been doing this for one and a half months.”