Our work in Colombia

After more than 50 years of armed conflict and great violence, the Colombian state signed a peace accord in 2016 with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). However, as our partners had predicted, this accord did not bring peace and tranquility. Especially rural territories with agro-industrial and mineral wealth suffer from neo-extractivism and illegal trafficking of drugs, weapons, minerals and people. Conflict-related violence continues, with abuses by armed groups (paramilitary groups, the Military Forces of Colombia, FARC dissidents and National Liberation Army/ELN guerillas), killings, massacres and massive forced displacements.

Colombia continues to be one of the most dangerous countries to be a human rights or environmental defender; an Indigenous peasant or Afro-Colombian social movement leader; or a journalist. In 2022 at least 215 human rights defenders were assassinated for their social justice work. The Colombian state has historically done little to protect them.

After winning the presidential election in May 2022, Gustavo Petro took office in August as the country’s first leftist president. Environmental activist Francia Marquez is the first Afro-Colombian vice-president. There is great hope that this new duo represents a historic opportunity for human rights and environmental defenders to be able to finally work with the State as opposed to being criminalized by the State. Our partners are hopeful that Colombia will finally be able to address deep-seated socio-economic inequalities, such as unequal land distribution, lack of public services, gender inequality, racism, massive organized crime and internal displacement (80,000 Colombians were newly displaced in 2022). Especially those living in the countryside (peasants, Afro-Colombians in community councils and Indigenous communities) hope the 2016 peace agreement will be implemented, particularly the deal’s promise of land reform to reduce rural inequality.

However, inflation and unemployment are rising, and a recession is on the way. Organized crime and insecurity threaten rights defenders and weaken the government’s ability to advance social justice. Climate change and environmental protection are challenging, with increasingly violent rains causing massive flooding and illegal logging and mining and deforesting as well as legal extraction causing serious environment harm. Approximately 7.7 million people need humanitarian assistance: close to three million Venezuelan migrants officially in the country plus millions of Colombians displaced by the armed conflict that continues to spread violence in much of the Colombian countryside.