Colombia's National Land Agency faces scrutiny over agrarian reform

The National Land Agency (ANT) in Colombia is facing scrutiny over public spending, low target achievement, and alleged irregularities regarding the implementation of agrarian reform. Lina María Garrido, the director of the ANT, reported that $7 trillion pesos were allocated, with $5.1 trillion used for land acquisition and $1.6 trillion for approximately 40,000 service contracts.

Regarding land distribution, the agency has titled 99,477 hectares, representing only 6.6% of its 1.5 million hectare goal. In terms of formalization, 1,603,166 hectares have been formalized, reaching 41.1% of the established target. Garrido announced that detected irregularities will be referred to the Prosecutor's Office, the Comptroller General, and the Inspector General's Office for investigation. The agency aims to refocus its efforts on facilitating land access, strengthening legal security for properties, and promoting rural productivity.