Colombian families reclaim ancestral lands after 30-year struggle

After a decade of legal struggle, twelve Colombian families have regained possession of 332 hectares of land in Tulapas, located in the Urabá region of Antioquia. A specialized court ordered the restitution of the properties, which were violently seized in the 1990s by paramilitary groups led by the Castaño brothers, in collaboration with the Livestock Fund of Córdoba. This ruling marks the end of a 30-year period of forced exile for these families.

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After 30 years, the land returns to its true owners.

The judicial decision legally dismantles the violence that displaced rural residents from the area between Necoclí, Turbo, and San Pedro de Urabá. The land, which was taken to expand large-scale cattle and forestry projects, now returns to its rightful owners. The organization Forjando Futuros, which represented many of the victims, celebrated the ruling as a triumph over impunity.

Gerardo Vega Medina, a lawyer with Forjando Futuros, highlighted the lengthy state response, noting that the administrative and judicial process took one-third of the 30 years the families waited for justice. Despite the delay, he emphasized the importance of the final recognition of their right to the territory. The Agamez Quintana family, owners of the 'Así es la Vida' farm, recounted the brutal events of 1995, when paramilitary incursions and neighbor assassinations forced them to leave under threat of eviction.

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The administrative and judicial process took one-third of the 30 years that the families were waiting for justice.

With the restitution, the families are not only regaining formal ownership but also activating state protocols for comprehensive reparation and economic support. Fernando Cotúa Agamez, one of the claimants, confirmed they have begun planting subsistence crops on their land, signaling a physical and productive return. The ruling provides a pathway for these families to rebuild their lives and livelihoods on the land that was unjustly taken from them.

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We have the authorization to enter the farm and we are planting subsistence crops.