The Colombian leftist government will be spending $4.25 billion to buy some 1.5 million hectares (3.7 million acres) for poor farmers and displaced people. The government is doing this to increase agriculture output and for peace efforts. This is to end Colombia’s six-decade conflict, which has killed more than 450,000 people. The long-lasting conflict has involved rebel groups, the Colombian government, paramilitary organizations, and crime gangs. It originally started over fights for land rights. The original goal was to buy 3 million hectares of land but it has since been purchased at half of that. The new farmers of the land purchases are encouraged to grow rice, corn, fruit, and other crops. President Gustavo Petro says “Land is synonymous with peace”.
This could be quite a successful plan for Colombia because it could solve the problems of homeless, and poor farmers not making money, and boost their economy from the plants being grown in this enormous amount of land. Also, it could solve the conflict over the land between all these opposing parties. So the Colombian government has been doing its homework on how to solve this problem. However, Colombia is home to many powerful drug cartels with their main money maker being cocaine, which is also derived from the coca plant. This plant is commonly grown in Colombia and if the cartel somehow gets their hands or corrupts people of the land it can lead to the growth of the cartel even more and perhaps another conflict.
This connects to our international relations class because the Colombian government has been advocating the growth of their agriculture to improve their economy and the quality of living for their citizens. The government of Colombia has also secured some of its people's security. Also have stopped conflicts between rebel groups and drug cartels they were fighting against. The sovereignty of the country of Colombia has done its job correctly and has the best interest of the country in mind and supported peace across the country with the purchase of the 1.5 million hectares of land.