A project aimed at promoting the popular peasant economy in regions affected by armed conflict has met a disappointing end due to a lack of planning and unforeseen challenges. The Ministry of Agriculture’s bureaucratic changes, poor planning, and budget constraints ultimately led to the failure of the initiative. Unfortunately, the burden of this failure falls on the impoverished peasants of southwestern Huila and northern Cauca, who will now have to repay the meager funds they received for the project.
Planning Deficiencies and Delayed Execution
In 2013, following an agrarian strike, the National Government made a promise to allocate resources to support peasant production. However, this commitment was never fulfilled at the time, leaving the peasants without the necessary support. The funds were eventually allocated, but due to planning failures, they could not be immediately invested. The money was inexplicably deposited into a different bank account, causing further delays. It wasn’t until 2016 that the projects could finally be executed, but by then, the cost of materials and labor had increased, and the country was facing a wave of summer-related challenges.
Legal Battle and Project Termination
On June 9, 2017, the Ministry of Agriculture filed a lawsuit against the El Porvenir Community Association (Asoporvenir) and the State Insurance company, seeking the return of the funds disbursed, along with interest and penalties. The Ministry claimed that the association had failed to invest the money according to the agreed-upon operational plan. After initial setbacks, the Council of State ruled in favor of the Ministry, stating that the association had indeed breached the agreement. As a result, the Administrative Litigation Chamber ordered the restitution of the funds.
