ABSTRACT
In November 2012 a new dialogue began between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and the Colombian government, with a view to signing a peace agreement. This chapter provides the national context, describing the nature of the problems related to land and armed conflict, the institutional responses and the struggles led by rural inhabitants. It explains the studied regions, Montes de Mara and Magdalena Medio, showing the tensions through which the regioncentre power relationships are perceived. The chapter considers a series of cross-sectional ideas derived from regional realities and national dynamics. In Colombia, policies and normative frameworks related to land ownership have proved to be insufficient in addressing the concentration of land ownership and changing the inequitable agrarian structure. The Land Restitution Law is an important step towards the reparation and recognition of the rights of victims of the Colombian armed conflict, and is also an expression of the national consensus in favour of reparations for the victims.
