Grupos Argos Fails to Demonstrate Good Faith in Land Purchase, According to Colombian Court

Grupos Argos, a prominent Colombian cement company, has been entwined in a near-decade-long legal battle after attempting to secure thousands of hectares in Sucre for a significant teak mega-project. Amid a land restitution process initiated in August 2014, the justice system clarified that the conglomerate did not verifiably purchase the land in good faith, and it was improbable they were unaware of numerous forced displacement cases in the area. This case has roots in a collective demand wherein farmers from San Onofre (Sucre) sought the return of over 400 hectares acquired by a Grupos Argos subsidiary between 2005 and 2007, later utilized for a reforestation project. After exhaustive judicial proceedings, the Superior Tribunal of Cartagena issued a landmark ruling, decreeing that the contested lands be returned to the farmers. The land had been seized by FARC and paramilitary groups between 1990 and 2004, and the ruling is viewed as not only a victory for the farmers but also as a significant chapter in understanding the acquisition of extensive land parcels by entrepreneurs amidst the relentless Colombian conflict. The court carefully considered the farmers’ demands, background, genuine intentions, and connection to violent incidents, ordering the restitution of a total of 490 hectares. Moreover, it established that Grupos Argos failed to validate good faith in the business dealings that facilitated their expansive teak planting project.