Colombia: Colombia Expands Land Restitution to War-Torn South amid Peace Efforts

Aug 9, 2016 | Anastasia Moloney, Reuters
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Colombia is expanding its land restitution program into former no-go areas in the country's war-torn south aiming to return land stolen from farmers by illegal armed groups, the government has said as peace talks advance. Between 6.5 and 10 million hectares (38,610 square miles) of land - up to 15 percent of Colombian territory - has been abandoned or illegally acquired through violence and fraud by leftist rebels and paramilitary groups during Colombia's five-decade war, according to the government.