The Colombian government has revealed that hundreds of properties intended for victims of the country’s armed conflict were instead acquired by politicians and other influential individuals. These properties were supposed to be part of a restitution process aimed at compensating those displaced during Colombia’s decades-long internal conflict.

Felipe Harman, the director of the Land Restitution Agency, stated that more than 400 properties previously owned by former paramilitary commander Salvatore Mancuso were not included in the list of assets meant for victim reparations. Harman noted that a significant portion of the assets that paramilitary leaders surrendered have either gone missing or ended up in the hands of individuals with political connections.

Lilia Solano, the director of the Victims Unit, echoed Harman’s concerns, explaining that most of the assets handed over by Mancuso and other AUC (United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia) commanders have seemingly disappeared. During a visit to Medellín, Solano highlighted one case in which an apartment confiscated from the notorious crime lord “Don Berna” is now occupied by former Senator Mario Uribe, a convicted criminal and cousin of ex-President Álvaro Uribe. Mario Uribe was known for his close ties to Medellín’s crime syndicate, “La Oficina.”

“This is just one example of what has happened,” Solano said. “The properties surrendered by paramilitary leaders have essentially been turned into a roulette wheel, benefiting politicians who had alliances with the AUC.”

Solano indicated that she has requested a meeting with Colombia’s Prosecutor General, Luz Adriana Camargo, to present evidence of the alleged misuse of these properties, hoping it will lead to a criminal investigation into the matter.

During the country’s armed conflict, paramilitary groups like the AUC forcibly displaced millions of people, often seizing their land in the process. In 2011, Congress passed the Victims Law, aiming to return these stolen properties to their rightful owners. However, this new revelation suggests that instead of being used to compensate victims, many of these properties have been absorbed by corrupt politicians and other elites, further undermining efforts to deliver justice and reparations.

This development exposes a deep-rooted issue within the restitution process, showing how political and criminal collusion has hindered the proper distribution of assets intended for conflict victims. As calls for accountability grow, the Colombian government will need to ensure that justice is served and that the rightful owners of these properties finally receive what is owed to them.