Land Redistribution's Surprising Peace Effect in Peru

District-Level Data

• Land expropriation data under military rule (1969-1980)
• Event-level rural killings from Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation Commission

(Conflict Period) 1980-2000

This article examines how land reform affected civil conflict in Peru. By analyzing geographic regression discontinuity design data, we find that greater land redistribution actually reduced subsequent violence.

Key Findings

✅ Core areas received more intensive reforms but showed significantly lower conflict rates

✅ Four distinct pathways contributed to this peace outcome:

• Counterinsurgency efforts improved security monitoring
• Intelligence gathering capabilities strengthened
• Local organizational infrastructure developed
• Opportunity costs for armed groups increased due to economic integration

This Means That

The findings challenge conventional wisdom about land reform's impact on political conflict while providing nuanced insights into how institutional interventions can shape complex social outcomes.