The violent struggle to control territory for economic, military and political reasons has been one of the root causes of Colombia’s 50-year-old internal armed conflict. This report examines what progress the authorities have made in implementing the land restitution elements of Law 1448 to ensure that the right of land claimants to an effective remedy is guaranteed. It seeks to place the current land restitution process in the context of previous attempts by Colombian governments to resolve the problems associated with the unequal distribution of land and rural poverty.