Colombia’s Victims and Land Restitution Law goes into effect January 1 and will require that all compensations must be spent towards productive projects, Radio Caracol reported Wednesday.
The government announced that victims of land left must prove that their compensation money go towards something productive, otherwise they will not receive payment.
Some of the projects that the government has deemed acceptable thus far include assistance in education, health care and access to subsidies for funerals of family members who died during Colombia’s violent conflict. Victims may also seek psychological programs to help overcome the damaging effects of their perpetrators.
It is expected that approximately two million people who do not appear in the official records will go to state agencies to claim their status once the Victims Law goes into effect. Victims will have four years to register in one of 13 offices known as “Casas de Tierras” or Land Houses, in order to receive their benefits.
Coinciding with the inauguration of the Victims Law, a historical memorial center and museum will be erected, and a national holiday will be observed as a reminder that the suffering of more than four million people should never happen again.
