Deforestation: A Pathway to Privatizing Colombia's Vacant Lands

Abstract

Written by a forestry engineer and former director of Corantioquia and Cormagdalena, this article presents a historical analysis of the use of deforestation as a mechanism for appropriating vacant public lands in Colombia since the late 18th century. The author traces the evolution of this process from the coffee colonization of the mid-20th century to the period following the peace accords, when deforestation resurfaced as a mechanism for storing surplus proceeds from both licit and illicit activities, including money laundering. The article proposes a phased plan: detailed land surveying in the short term, socioeconomic studies and forest enrichment in the medium term, and land-tenure regime reform in the long term.