Katherine Miranda, a member of the Colombian House of Representatives, has found herself at odds with President Gustavo Petro. This tension arose after Miranda lost the presidency of the House to Jaime Raúl Salamanca, who enjoyed support from the presidential office.
The back-and-forth between the two has played out on social media, particularly on X, as they debate Petro’s proposal for a rapid purchase of land aimed at accelerating agrarian reform in Colombia. The initiative is part of fulfilling the Peace Agreements established in 2016 with the former FARC guerrilla group.
During these exchanges, Petro responded to comments made by Oscar Campo, a representative from the Cambio Radical party. Campo argued that implementing a “fast track” for peace efforts should be the government’s responsibility, not Congress’s. The president countered, claiming Campo overlooked that his administration had proposed legislation for this purpose, although those initiatives were ultimately rejected in Congress.
Petro emphasized that Miranda played a role in stalling these proposals, stating that her actions, along with court rulings, resulted in the failure of regulations that could have expedited agrarian reform. He lamented that the 2016 Peace Agreement was not implemented effectively due to state obstacles, reiterating the need for Congress to address legal changes to ensure compliance with the agreement.
In a spirited response to the president’s critiques, Miranda took to X, questioning whether Petro ever tires of “attacking and lying” about her involvement concerning the fast track and agrarian reform. She remarked that she had publicly denounced Petro’s proposal for expedited expropriation, which he and his minister had denied authoring. She challenged Petro to engage in discussions about reform based on reasoned arguments rather than personal attacks.
The Colombian government’s strategy for agrarian reform aims to rethink how land is allocated to farmers and victims of the armed conflict. They plan to implement structural changes within the National Land Agency (ANT), transforming it into an institution focused on developing productive projects through loans and formalizing property titles.
Felipe Harman, director of the ANT, conveyed readiness to start this process. He emphasized the importance of land as a first step but highlighted the necessity of consolidating the program with additional productive projects and renewed support for rural areas.
Image and News Source: https://www.infobae.com/colombia/2024/07/23/no-se-cansa-de-atacarme-y-de-mentir-fuerte-rifirrafe-entre-katherine-miranda-y-gustavo-petro-por-la-reforma-agraria/
