This Law and regulatory Decree No. 2017 of 12 October 1988 (Diario Oficial, No. 38531, 12 October 1988, pp. 1-7) establish new procedures for the distribution of rural land in Colombia. A major aspect of these laws is the incorporation of the National Council of Economic and Social Policy (CONPES) into the planning and control of the agriculture reform scheme. According to these regulations, the Colombian Institute for Agriculture Reform (INCORA) will be in charge of the creation of the Annual Plan of Activities which establishes the regions subject to a land distribution plan under the supervision of CONPES. Once the Annual Plan of Activities is formulated, the regulations authorize INCORA to negotiate directly with the owners of the lands covered by the regional plan. For this purpose, the land is subject to technical analysis consisting of an on-site visit during which the quality, improvement, and value of the machinery attached to the land are assessed. After the analysis is completed, an offer will be made to the owner, who has a period of 15 days to accept or reject it. If the offer is rejected, INCORA will initiate an expropriation proceeding. Payment will be made in government bonds, maturing in five years. The owners have a right to seek the exclusion of their lots from regional plans. A second major aspect of these laws is that their objectives include not only the redistribution of the land but also the creation of adequate infrastructure for the development of regions subject to agrarian reform. Projects for the construction of railroads or other means of transportation, public service facilities, and cultural centers will be carried out keeping in mind the principle that respect for environmental concerns be maintained.
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