La legalización y regulación de asentamientos humanos ilegales en zonas rurales: análisis jurídico de su evolución normativa en Colombia

Abstract

The legalization of informal rural settlements in Colombia is a key strategy to provide legal security to peasant and ethnic communities that have historically occupied land without formal ownership. This process, supported by legal frameworks such as Law 1448 of 2011 and Decree-Law 902 of 2017, has promoted land restitution and formalization, reducing the risk of dispossession, facilitating access to credit, and strengthening community attachment to rural territories. However, findings indicate that legalization alone does not substantially improve socio-economic conditions due to persistent gaps in infrastructure, technical assistance, and institutional coordination. The study concludes that land formalization must be integrated with comprehensive rural development policies and territorial planning strategies to generate sustainable impacts on poverty reduction and equitable land distribution.