Colombian government officials will return nearly 1,500 acres of land to 61 displaced peasant families in the Norte de Santander department on Wednesday, that was seized by paramilitaries, local media reported.
President Juan Manuel Santos, Agriculture Minister Juan Camilo Restrepo Salazar and INCODER Director Juan Manuel Ospina will formalize the return of land rights in the northern Colombian municipality of Tibu, to families from the Catatumbo region of the department. Amont the recipients of land titles are 10 women who are heads of families.
In the coming year, the rural development institute INCODER hopes to return the land titles for approximately 600 properties to families in Catatumbo.
Since August of 2010, the government has returned over 700,000 acres of land to victims of displacement, as part of a widespread land restitution plan.