Senador Robledo

7/31/2019 Senador Robledo

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SENADOR ROBLEDO

POMOIR

Debates sobre salud y minera y audienciapblica sobre poltica cafetera har Robledo

la prxima semanaOficina de Prensa Senador Jorge Enrique Robledo, Bogot,mayo 18 de 2012----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Debate de tierras, aplazado para el 29 de mayo.

El martes 22 de mayo, desde las cuatro de la tarde, elsenador Jorge Enrique Robledo adelantar en la plenaria del

Senado el debate a la ministra de Salud, Beatriz Londoo, yel jueves 24 presidir en el auditorio Luis Guillermo Vlez, apartir de las 8 y media de la maana, la Audiencia Pblicasobre la poltica cafetera. Ambas sern transmitidas endirecto por la Seal Colombia y Canal Congreso.

El gobierno no ha aportado soluciones de fondo a la crisis de

la salud y est empeado en ocultar los contratos suscritospor algunos de sus ministros con EPS comprometidas enescndalos, son algunas de las denuncias que se proponehacer el congresista del Polo el prximo martes en la plenariadel Senado.


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El mismo martes, en horas de la maana, Robledo es citante,junto con el senador Flix Valera, en el debate al ministro de

Minas que tendr lugar en la Comisin Quinta sobre laproblemtica del sector y, en especial, sobre la persecucin ala pequeos y medianos mineros.

El jueves, con la presencia de expertos y dirigentes polticosde distintos partidos, la Audiencia Pblica le har undiagnstico a la difcil situacin por la que pasa la caficultura

colombiana, cuya produccin viene cayendo en picada, lo quese ha traducido en pobreza, desempleo y ruina para ms de500 mil familias.

El debate sobre la poltica de tierras, tambin en la plenaria,qued aplazado para el martes 29 de mayo. Tendrtransmisin en directo por la Seal Institucional y el Canal

Congreso a partir de las 4 de la tarde.

Quienes deseen asistir el jueves a la audiencia cafetera, favorinscribir su nombre, su cdula y el gremio o entidad a los quepertenecen, en el siguiente correo:[email protected]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Por favor incluya las [email protected] y [email protected] en
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su libreta de direcciones para que no sean consideradasspam. Estos envos se hacen por lo menos una vez a la semana;si dejan de llegarle, hganoslo saber. Si no desea seguirrecibiendo nuestros correos, respndanos pidiendo su retiro de la

lista. Si desea publicar nuestros artculos, incluya nuestraspginas como crdito de los mismos.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Debate a minagricultura harn congresistasdel Polo en plenaria del Senado

Oficina de Prensa, Senador Jorge Enrique Robledo, Bogot21 de febrero de 2012----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Un chiste cruel que Santos se exhiba como el presidente delos campesinos y que se jacte de estar haciendo la revolucinagraria en Colombia, dice Robledo. Se estn manipulandolas cifras.

El ministro de Agricultura, Juan Camilo Restrepo, ser citadoa debate en la plenaria del Senado por los congresistas delPolo Democrtico, Jorge Enrique Robledo, Ivn Cepeda yWilson Arias, para que responda por la poltica agraria y derestitucin de tierras del gobierno nacional.


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Los tres parlamentarios demostrarn que el propsito realfijado como meta por el propio gobierno no sobrepasa las

11.200 restituciones de predios a diciembre de 2013, unaburla, a su juicio, porque el gobierno se comprometi aentregar 160.000 predios antes del 7 de agosto de 2014.

Se han venido manipulando las estadsticas sobre poltica detierras, advirtieron, para presentar como restituciones a lasvctimas lo que est muy lejos de serlo. A la fecha de hoy, de

las 800.000 hectreas que reportan los datos oficiales,apenas 18.000 corresponden a restituciones a las vctimas. Elresto responde a proyectos como titulacin de baldos, quevienen de los gobiernos anteriores.

Adems, el gobierno se viene con los TLC, que arruinarn elagro, y cambi la ley para entregarles a los magnates los

baldos del Estado, tierras que antes solo podanentregrseles a los campesinos.

Es un chiste que Santos se exhiba como el presidente de loscampesinos y que se jacte de estar haciendo la revolucinagraria en Colombia, seal el senador----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

----Enviamos la versin en ingls de la carta que el senadorRobledo le envi a la Alta Comisionada de la ONU para


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los Refugiados develando las falsedades en la poltica deSantos de restitucin a las vctimas del despojo:

There is a big difference between the facts

about land restitution to the victims ofviolence in Colombia

Bogot, 9 February 2012----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Her Excellency MadamTERRY MORELHigh Commissioner of the United Nations For Refugees,UNHCRBogot, Colombia

RE: There is a big difference between the facts about landrestitution to the victims of violence in Colombia and what theSantos government would have us believe about this process."The goal for the next four years is 160 thousand processedapplications. In addition, we expect that agricultural judges will

authorize at least 2,100 cases of restitution in 2012". JuanCamilo Restrepo, Minister of Agriculture (http://bit.LY/Ahieqd)

Dear Excellency:
http://bit.ly/Ahieqdhttp://bit.ly/Ahieqdhttp://bit.ly/Ahieqd


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Given the importance of the information contained in this letterI have copied it to numerous leaders, institutions,

governments, organizations and media, in Colombia andabroad, interested in the restitution of lands to rightful ownerswho were driven off by violence.

The reality behind the numbers and their manipulation

I am sure you are puzzled by the Colombian Governmentsgoal of restoring in 2012 only 2,100 rural properties to victimsof violence, a number to be added to 699 land returns (18,119hectares) put into effect in 2011 by administrative authority(http://bit.ly/zWvgwL). The Director of the DispossessedLands Unit confirmed the goal of 2,100 returns for 2012,adding that "the figure will quadruple in 2013", i.e. to 8,400rural properties (http://bit.ly/w7jiLM). Thus by the end of 2013,

with only seven months left in the current administration , totalland returns would amount to only 11,199, that is 149,146fewer units than the 160,345 promised by President JuanManuel Santos to the 350,000 families dispossessed throughviolent means. There is nothing to indicate that thepresidential promise will be fulfilled.

Given the above numbers, it surely will surprise you to findthat Colombias media coverage is replete with very largenumbers that make it appear as if President Santos policy ofland restitution were a great success. Such coverage makes itpossible for the President and his Agriculture Minister tospeak of a "monumental effort" [that] "is changing the face of
http://bit.ly/zWvgwLhttp://bit.ly/zWvgwLhttp://bit.ly/w7jiLMhttp://bit.ly/w7jiLMhttp://bit.ly/w7jiLMhttp://bit.ly/w7jiLMhttp://bit.ly/zWvgwL


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the country", of a "historical milestone" and even of "a genuineagrarian revolution (http://bit.ly/yRiTGk). How can thegovernment gain such superlative media evaluations in theface of the actual mediocre achievements in the policy of rural

property returns?

The explanation is simple: the Government has managed toget Colombians to ignore the small number of land restitutionsfor 2011, 2012 and 2013, while subjecting the public to asystematic bombardment of figures of hundreds of thousandsand millions of hectares (for example, the numbers 500

thousand, 800,000 and 3.5 million hectares appear in ElTiempo on Jan.26.12, Jan.25.12 and Feb.09.12) to persuadeColombians that these numbers refer to land returns to thevictims of violent dispossession, something which is far fromthe truth. Heres a case in point: a Presidency of the Republicnewsletter on 3 August 2011 was entitled, "Governmentexceeded the goal of delivering, in its first year, 350 thousandhectares to victims of violence", when only 14,208 of the

stated total were restitutions for victims of violence, accordingto official figures (http://bit.ly/A0mlv9).

The Santos administration makes it a practice to avoid anymention of the fact that, in addition to its land restitutionprogram the only new land program created by the Santosadministration there are six additional programs in the

books, inherited from previous administrations that awardtitles in rural properties. Those programs provide land titlesbut are not returns of farm land to dispossessed victims ofviolence under the terms of the Law 1448 of 2011 (see landprograms and numbers since 1990: http://bit.ly/wOEFam ).Thus, in response to a recent article by columnist Daniel
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Samper Pizano who expressed concern over the minimalnumber (2,100) of land sites returned to victims in 2012(http://bit.ly/zN0W9X), Agriculture Minister Juan CamiloRestrepo waxed proudly of "having achieved the historic

record of awarding titles covering 800,000 hectares topeasant, displaced persons, and ethnic communities"(http://bit.ly/xaJW2i).

The figure cited by the Minister represents all the landsprocessed by this Administration beginning on August 7, 2010(286,352 hectares) and going through 2011 (512,354

hectares), hardly a "historic record", since previousadministrations annual average of rural property titlesprocessed since 1990 amounted to 967,844 hectares. Abreakdown of the aggregate figures shows that only 18,119hectares just 2.2% of the total represent land returned to(699) victims of dispossession; 2,535 hectares representlands confiscated from narco-traffickers; 165,374 are made upof land in indigenous reservations; and 598,857 hectares that

required little action by the Administration as they correspondto the titling of idle State lands that were either long occupiedby settlers or granted to Afro-descendants(http://bit.ly/wOEFam), titling from as long ago as colonialtimes (http://bit.ly/wOEFam).

We do not question official decisions regarding the titling,

adjudication or return of rural properties in Colombia. What wedefend is the right of Colombians to receive truthfulinformation; numbers about land programs other than the onedesigned to return properties to those dispossessed byviolence should not be utilized to obscure what is reallyhappening with the restitution program, because inflation of
http://bit.ly/zN0W9Xhttp://bit.ly/zN0W9Xhttp://bit.ly/xaJW2ihttp://bit.ly/wOEFamhttp://bit.ly/wOEFamhttp://bit.ly/wOEFamhttp://bit.ly/wOEFamhttp://bit.ly/wOEFamhttp://bit.ly/wOEFamhttp://bit.ly/xaJW2ihttp://bit.ly/zN0W9X


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the actual numbers may contribute to the permanentdispossession suffered by 350, 000 families. The PoloDemocrtico Alternativo presented and voted for our ownprogram of land restitution to the victims of violence. We did

so not because we opposed the payment of indemnities andthe return of rural properties but simply because we felt theofficial program suffered serious deficiencies. We reject anyact of violence perpetrated against agrarian leaders who arestruggling for the return of their properties. We urge thegovernment to guarantee their right to life and to organize andstruggle to gain their lands back.

When it comes to manipulation of land statistics, one casemay actually represent a true historic record: the delivery byPresident Santos of the Las Catas lands to 304 peasantfamilies in Ayapel, Crdoba, on 12 January. The event wasdescribed as a direct, personal gift by the President. Thereality is quite different. The land in question had beenexpropriated from narco-traffickers in 2005 and already

transferred to the peasant families on a provisional basis backin 2006, nearly six years ago! (http://bit.ly/ycCjMY). ThePresident merely presided over the final, definitive step of thetransfer. At the official event organized by the Presidentssupporters in Barranquilla, Santos announced that therewould be 50 more gifts like Las Catas before the end of theyear. Did he mean another disingenuous handling of thefacts?

The sad factual reality of the process is also highlighted by theMinister of Agricultures report of 12 January announcing thatto date only 5 judges had been assigned to adjudicate ruralproperty returns, and that only 22 of the envisioned total of
http://bit.ly/ycCjMYhttp://bit.ly/ycCjMYhttp://bit.ly/ycCjMY


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134 property adjudication judges would be appointed by theend of 2012 (http://bit.ly/xbJ23E).

Eliminating the reversal of the burden of proof is badpolicy

The Polo Democrtico Alternativo supported Article 78 of thedraft law of return of rural property to victims of violence anddispossession. It established a reversal of the normal burden

of proof, stipulating that, in these cases, it was up to those inpossession of properties claimed by victims to demonstratethat current possession did not originate from dispossession.The reversal of the burden of proof recognized that the victimslacked resources to collect and provide evidence to establishthe truth of their claims. In any event, evidence in these kindsof claims is always difficult to collect even for those whopossess greater means. The reversal was geared to guide theprocesses so that Courts would decide against those bearingthe burden of proof if they provided insufficient evidence ofownership. Reversal of the burden of proof was understood toshow good faith towards the victims of violence anddispossession.

Therefore the removal of the burden of proof reversal from

Decree 4829 of 2011, which was merely intended toimplement Article 78 of Law 1448, is cause for seriousconcern. The Santos administration deliberately eliminatedthe burden of proof reversal, as evidenced by the followingstatements, presumably of support for the reversal, by theMinister of Agriculture: "In practice," he said, "the reversal of
http://bit.ly/xbJ23Ehttp://bit.ly/xbJ23Ehttp://bit.ly/xbJ23E


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the burden of proof means that once a claim is submitted, thegovernment will take responsibility for the immense anddelicate burden of assisting in the collection of evidence", "thegovernment will help [the victimized claimants] search for and

submit evidence, and the law something which is nottrue, requires the government (...)" "to engage in support ofthe victims in order to help them document their claims"(http://bit.ly/xOJpOj). According to Agriculture Minister JuanCamilo Restrepo, then, the burden of proof is not on thecurrent property holder, i.e. the alleged perpetrator of thedispossession, but on the victimized claimant. Thisinterpretation is in violation of Article 78, which establishes the

reversal of the burden of proof. This violation cannot beremedied merely by government bureaucracy assistingdispossessed victims to gather evidence. It is highly likely thatthis substantial alteration in the implementation of the lawexplains the minimal official goal of just 11,199 rural propertyreturns to dispossessed owners by the end of 2013.

I cannot fail to mention Article 73 and its implementation viaArticle 99, through which, as Minister Restrepo explains,the right to return to ones former property is not equivalentthe right to own it, those being rights separate andindependent from each other" (http://bit.ly/xUcrta andhttp://bit.ly/xbJ23E). By way of this legal subterfuge a gap isopened so that the perpetrators of violence, their accomplicesor the government are in sole possession of crop production

in the lands under litigation, and in actual practice with theland properties themselves, even if they are formally returnedto the victims. In this manner the government will produce aset of poverty-stricken rentiers, i.e. peasants who will remaindisplaced in the cities or working as day laborers on their rural
http://bit.ly/xOJpOjhttp://bit.ly/xOJpOjhttp://bit.ly/xUcrtahttp://bit.ly/xUcrtahttp://bit.ly/xbJ23Ehttp://bit.ly/xbJ23Ehttp://bit.ly/xbJ23Ehttp://bit.ly/xUcrtahttp://bit.ly/xOJpOj


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properties, and receiving a lease payment for the rural landsreturned to them.

This end result fits perfectly with the main agricultural policy ofPresident Juan Manuel Santos for whom the Colombiancountryside is to become a paradise for bankers and local andtransnational agri-business monopolies and turns Colombianpeasants into peons (http://bit.ly/whQqrd). To this end Law1448 will play a complementary political and economic role.

I hope you find the above information useful to betterunderstand what is really happening with the process ofrestitution of rural properties to the victims of Colombianviolence and dispossession.

Cordially yours,JORGE ENRIQUE ROBLEDO CASTILLOSenator of the Republic
http://bit.ly/whQqrdhttp://bit.ly/whQqrdhttp://bit.ly/whQqrd

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Senador Robledo