Colombia’s crisis: wave of violence against human rights defenders; Tear gas and stun grenades disrupt peaceful Women’s Day March

Association

Colombian HRDs killed

Colombia’s human rights ombudsman reported that 181 human rights defenders were murdered in 2023. Although this figure marks a decrease from the record 215 killings in 2022, ombudsman Carlos Camargo labelled the situation “unacceptable,” noting that an activist was killed, on average, every two days. Key regions affected by these killings include Antioquia, Cauca, Nariño and Putumayo, areas impacted by illegal armed groups involved in illicit gold mining and coca cultivation.

A series of targeted killings and violent attacks has occurred since November 2023, with multiple fatalities reported within a short period, primarily in areas marked by historical social conflicts. This pattern of violence directed at activists involved in land rights, Indigenous rights, and peacebuilding activities emphasises ongoing structural limitations within Colombia’s framework for protecting defenders. Summaries of some of those cases are provided below:

• On 12th November 2023, unknown assailants fatally shot Juan David Chávez Yoino, a 23-year-old member of the Indigenous Guard from the Juan Tama Reserve of the Nasa people, firing four shots that killed him immediately. This incident occurred in the Antonio Nariño area of La Plata municipality, Huila.
• On the same day, attackers associated with a post-peace accord group (Estado Mayor Central, Second Marquetalia, or ELN) killed Daniel Andrés Rivas Prieto, an Indigenous leader. The assailants waited for him along a route he frequently travelled in the San Isidro area of Puerto Caicedo and left his body on the road.

• Antonio Fondi Otero, a well-known sports leader dedicated to promoting sports among children and youth, was fatally shot on the night of 14th November 2023. Armed assailants shot him multiple times in the Suerte 40 neighbourhood. Members of the community, alerted by the gunfire, attempted to assist him; however, he showed no signs of life by the time they arrived.
• On 20th November 2023, members of the paramilitary group Gaitanist Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia, AGC) killed Hugo Arley Muñoz Palacio during an incursion in the Las Auroras district of Briceño, Antioquia. The attackers entered several homes, forced residents out, including Muñoz Palacio and bound and executed them. Muñoz Palacio, a community leader, actively supported the Illicit Crop Substitution Programme (PNIS), and served on the Community Action Board (Junta de Acción Comunal, JAC) in Las Auroras.
• On 23rd November 2023, unknown assailants approached and fatally shot Elkin Jesús Díaz Vergara multiple times while he was on his way home in the Puerto Vega area. Díaz Vergara served as the vice president of the JAC in the Las Camelias district of Puerto Asís, Putumayo.
• On the same day, four armed men ambushed and shot Leniz Rojas Silva multiple times while he was riding his motorcycle with his young daughter in the Pacarní area. The assailants stole his motorcycle after the attack. Rojas Silva, president of the JAC in El Vergel district, Tesalia, Huila, was a community leader and the son of a peace agreement signatory.
• On 25th November 2023, unknown assailants shot and killed Luis Miguel Mendoza Aleán. His body was later found in a rural area of Pueblo Nuevo, Córdoba. Mendoza Aleán served as the president of the JAC in the Los Rosales district and was also a member of the Mojana Social Pact’s executive committee, which works to address regional issues related to flooding and exploitation.
• On 30th November 2023, authorities found the body of Rogelio Chate Peña at a location known as El Frutal, near the Pan-American Highway in Santander de Quilichao. He had disappeared the previous day after participating in organisational activities. A post-peace agreement armed group, which had recently made strong accusations against him, is suspected of involvement, as members of this group were reportedly nearby at the time of the incident. Chate Peña, an elder of the Nasa people, served as a spiritual advisor and ancestral healer. He was also a delegate to the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) in the Macro Case 05.

• On 2nd December 2023, two armed men arrived by boat at María Isabel Ramos Álzate’s residence in the Aguas Negras area, Solita, Caquetá. After a brief exchange of words with her, they shot her multiple times before escaping by boat along the Caquetá River in an unknown direction. Ramos Álzate was a community leader, dedicated to supporting the elderly and served as the president of the JAC in the Cusumbe district of Solita, Caquetá.
• On 3rd December 2023, an unidentified man wearing a mask approached and shot Phanor Guazaquillo Peña multiple times outside the new cemetery in Puerto Asís just after he had left the funeral of fellow leader Manuel Carlosama. Despite efforts to transport him to the municipal hospital, the severity of his injuries led to his death upon arrival. Guazaquillo Peña had reported his security risks to the National Protection Unit (UNP) and other authorities since January 2023. As an Indigenous authority of the Nasa people in the Kwésx Kiwe (“Our Land”) ancestral territory, Guazaquillo Peña served as a former council member in Puerto Asís, defended territorial rights and participated in land restitution processes. He also contributed to the ethnic chapter of the Peace Agreement and took part in the High-Level Special Instance of Ethnic Peoples (IAENPE).
• On 4th December 2023, search efforts by family and friends led to the discovery of Robiro Rojas Benavides’s body after he had been reported missing the previous day. Armed men had approached and detained him shortly before his disappearance. Rojas Benavides served as the president of the JAC in the Cordilleras Andinas district of Los Andes, Nariño.
• On the same day, unknown men fatally wounded Pedro Pablo Salas Sánchez in the neck with a knife in the Carmelita area of Puerto Vega Teteyé, Puerto Asís, Putumayo. Salas Sánchez was a rural guard with the Peasant, Coca Growers, Agrarian, and Environmental Movement of Putumayo, Piamonte Cauca and Jardines de Sucumbíos (Movimiento Campesino, Cocalero, Agrario y Ambiental del Putumayo, Piamonte Cauca, y Jardines de Sucumbíos, MOVICCAAP) and served on the board of the Asociación Campesina del Suroriente de Putumayo (ACSOMAYO).
• On 7th December 2023, unknown assailants fatally shot Bryan Camilo Osuna Gómez under circumstances that remain unclear. Osuna Gómez was an environmental leader involved with the Cali Agroecological Garden Network and the Committed to Change Collective (Colectivo Me le Pego al Cambio). His work focused on restoring neglected green spaces and addressing waste mismanagement in the Morro de Siloé area, located in Cali’s Comuna 20.
• On 11th December 2023, two armed men approached Robert Fernández as he was preparing to feed his poultry near his home. After a brief conversation, they shot him and fled on a motorcycle. Fernández was a rural leader dedicated to land rights, having founded and led efforts for collective land allocation at the La Filigrana farm. He served as treasurer of the Association of Peasant Workers of Cajibío (Asociación de Trabajadores Campesinos de Cajibío, ATCC) and was a member of the National Association of Peasant Reserve Zones (Asociación Nacional de Zonas de Reserva Campesina, ANZORC), the Popular Unity Process of Southwestern Colombia (Proceso de Unidad Popular del Suroccidente Colombiano, PUPSOC), and the Patriotic March party.
• On 12th December 2023, armed men shot Henry Acero four times as he entered his home in the La Estrella area. He was taken to Meissen Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries hours later. Acero had previously reported threats and requested protection. A dedicated member of the JAC in Ciudad Bolívar, he was known for his initiatives supporting children and the elderly, organising public hearings and advocating for informal transportation routes through neighbourhood associations. Acero worked for the recognition and decriminalisation of informal transportation in marginalised areas.
• On 14th December 2023, armed men in a truck forcibly removed Tulia Carrillo Lizarazo from her farm and fatally shot her multiple times, leaving her body on the main road in the Tamacay and Corocito area. Carrillo Lizarazo was a leader and founding member of the municipal branch of the National Peasant Association José Antonio Galán Zorro (Asociación Nacional Campesina José Antonio Galán Zorro, ASONALCA) and a participant in the Joel Sierra Human Rights Foundation. She was also a member of the Victims’ Participation Board in Tame, Arauca.

• On 14th December 2023, authorities found Rozanna Delgado Trujillo hanging from a tree with her hands and feet bound on the road to Cerro de Guadalupe in the eastern hills of Bogotá. The cause of death was mechanical asphyxiation and her body showed signs of torture. Delgado Trujillo had relocated to Bogotá approximately two years earlier due to threats and intimidation related to her leadership work in Santander. A 32-year-old trans woman, she was an activist known for defending LGBTQI+ rights in Barrancabermeja, Santander.
• On 15th December 2023, unknown assailants fatally shot Diego Antonio Arrieta López as he was on his way to attend to a personal matter in the area known as La Bodega, near El Totumo in Necoclí, Antioquia. Arrieta had previously reported threats against him to authorities. A rural leader and forest ranger, Arrieta championed land restitution efforts in the Urabá region of Antioquia, served multiple terms as president of the JAC of El Totumo and led collective reparations committees for victims. He was widely recognised for his role in reclaiming land that had been taken by paramilitaries and business entities.
• On 16th December 2023, an unidentified man arrived at Marino Paví Julicue’s residence in the La Betulia area, where, after a brief argument, he shot and killed him. Paví Julicue was a leader of the Nasa people, former coordinator of the Indigenous Guard. He promoted the Nasa Yuwe language and served as a cultural educator within his community.
• On 16th December 2023, two armed men fatally shot Carlos Alberto Romero Martínez multiple times in the marketplace of La Dorada, Caldas, causing his immediate death. Romero Martínez had reported receiving threats and had been provided a bulletproof vest and panic button as protective measures. A rural leader, he served as the legal representative of the Association of Small Farmers of Magdalena Medio (Asociación de Pequeños Agricultores del Magdalena Medio, ASCADGGRIMAD).
• On 20th December 2023, two armed men wearing armbands of the National Liberation Army (ELN) approached and killed Carlos Arturo Quijano Velazco as he transported milk from his farm in Santa Lucía, Silvia, to the main road for collection. Quijano Velazco was the president of the Association of Smallholder Peasant Workers of Santa Lucia in Silvia Cauca (Asociación de Trabajadores Campesinos Pequeños Propietarios de Santa Lucia de Silvia Cauca, TORCASA PP), affiliated with the National Unitary Agricultural Union Federation (FENSUAGRO).
• On 22nd December 2023, armed men entered John Freiman Ramos Ocaña’s home and shot him, his wife and their 15-year-old daughter, killing them at the scene. The incident occurred in the village of Nuevo Carbonero, in Santander de Quilichao, Cauca. Ramos was a community leader, a teacher at Las Aves Educational Institution and a member of the Unitary Union of Education Workers of Cauca (SUNTEC).

• On 24th December 2023, armed men killed Eliécer Puyo Chocué at the Pescador gas station on the Pan-American Highway. The incident occurred hours after the Security and Peace Council, led by President Gustavo Petro with military leaders in attendance, discussed the human rights crisis in the Cauca region. Puyo was a member of the Indigenous Guard of the La Laguna reserve in Caldono.
• On 10th January 2024, armed men attacked and fatally shot Geovanny Luna Cárdenas without warning while he was inside a commercial establishment, preparing to have breakfast with other local residents. Despite attempts to provide first aid, Luna Cárdenas succumbed to his injuries at the scene due to their severity. He served as the fiscal officer of the JAC in the Antonia Santos neighbourhood in Cucuta.
• On the same day, hitmen killed Argemiro Mayo García, a prominent Afro-Colombian leader and Board member of the Afro-descendant Community Council (COCOSARLES) in the Abibe Mountain Range, Río León and Río Sucio regions, while he was travelling with his brother in a vehicle in the rural area of Mutatá, Antioquia. Mayo García held recognition as a collective victim under Case 04 of the JEP, which addresses territorial issues in the Urabá region. His assassination occurred during a surge of violence in Urabá, where four other murders have already taken place this year.
• On 14th January 2024, an armed group, reportedly the Ismael Ruiz Front of the EMC, abducted José Enrique Roa Cruz during a meeting in the Gucacallo district of Pitalito, Huila. Roa, a recognised Peace Accord signatory accredited by the Office of the High Commissioner for Peace (OACP) since 5th June 2017, was accompanied by two bodyguards from the National Protection Unit (UNP), Eduardo Sterling and Yilber Silva. Hours after the abduction, authorities found Sterling and Silva dead, showing signs of torture. Initially, Roa’s whereabouts remained unknown, but officials later confirmed that his body had also been found deceased.
• On 17th January 2024, authorities discovered the body of Fidel Antonio Hernández, a social leader from Urabá, who had been missing since 14th January 2024. Hernández served as a member of the JAC in the Santa María neighbourhood of Apartadó, Antioquia, and was part of the Municipal Patriotic Board until 2022.

From 18th to 30th January 2024, civil society organisations reported at least four additional killings. On 18th January 2024, gunmen on motorbikes executed a hit-and-run attack in San Carlos, Córdoba, killing José Gregorio Naranjo, a well-known social leader. On 19th January, a post-peace accord group killed indigenous leader and knowledge-holder José Alirio Chocue Molano in the ancestral Nasa territory of La Gaitana, Zona Oriente. The violence continued at the end of the month when, between 29th and 30th January, Fernando Romero, president of the Community Action Board in Cachimbal village and Fabián Castaño Serna, president of a local farmers’ association and former Community Action Board leader in Alejan village, were assassinated in Valle del Cauca.

The trend continued in February and March 2024, with the killing of social leaders:

• On 3rd February, gunmen assassinated Faber de Jesús Rincón Pérez, a social leader, in the urban area of Yondó, Magdalena Medio, Antioquia. The attack took place as Rincón Pérez walked toward his home in the Brisas del Oriente neighbourhood. Two assailants on a black motorcycle approached him in broad daylight, opened fire and then fled the scene. The gunfire left Rincón Pérez with two gunshot wounds to the chest. He was transported to the Héctor Abad Gómez local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival.
• On 3rd February, armed men forcibly removed community leader Jhon Fredy Muchavisoy from his home in Dos Quebradas, Piñuña Blanco, Puerto Asís, and killed him less than 100 metres away. Due to regional security issues, his body was not transferred to Puerto Asís until the following day. Muchavisoy had been working on the legalisation of the Dos Quebradas JAC.
• On 6th February, authorities recovered and transported the body of Lirnedy Soto, a community leader and treasurer of La Pradera in Puerto Caicedo, Putumayo, who had been forcibly abducted by armed men on 1st February. The group identified as Comandos de Frontera (CDF), affiliated with the Second Marquetalia, allegedly executed Soto, whose body was discovered on 4th February along a route between La Pradera and Arizona with multiple gunshot wounds. Soto’s murder, occurring just days after the killing of Jhon Fredy Muchavisoy in Dos Quebradas, adds to the rising tensions in Putumayo, where territorial disputes between Comandos de Frontera and the Carolina Ramírez Front continue to instil fear within local communities.
• On 6th February, armed men entered the home of Aldinebin Ramos and killed him. As a human rights defender and co-founder of Chaparral Diversa, Ramos dedicated years to advocating for LGBTIQ+ rights and protections in Tolima. In 2019, Ramos presented his case to the JEP, seeking recognition and reparation for the persecution he endured based on his sexual orientation. His murder marks the third LGBTIQ+ leader affiliated with Colombia Diversa to lose their life after submitting a case to the JEP.

• On 11th February, unknown men arrived at the farm of Jaime Ernesto Páez Devia, a social leader and coffee farmer, and fatally shot him. Páez Devia lived with his children in the rural area of Buenavista, Rioblanco, Tolima, where he actively led his community. Despite no previous threats against him, his murder has sparked concern among local authorities, who have initiated a preliminary investigation to uncover the circumstances surrounding his death. Authorities in the Tolima Department have called an extraordinary security council to address the case, given that this marks the second assassination of a social leader in southern Tolima within five days.
• On 22nd February 2024, unknown assailants fatally shot Víctor Mezú, a social leader from San Antonio in Santander de Quilichao, Cauca, Mezú. Earlier, Colombia’s Ombudsman’s Office had issued alerts about risks to social leaders due to increased activity by illegal armed groups.
• On 23rd February 2024, armed men entered the home of Ludivia Galindez in the Villa del Prado neighbourhood of Florencia, Caquetá, and shot her shortly after her protection team from the National Protection Unit (UNP) had dropped her off. Although neighbours provided immediate aid, Galindez succumbed to her injuries due to the severity of the gunshot wounds. Galindez was a leader in Caquetá, serving as the president of Asojuntas in La Montañita and a member of the Association of Women for Peace and the Defence of Women’s Rights in Colombia. She had also held regional leadership roles with the Colombian Communist Party and previously ran for the municipal council under the Liberal Party.
• On 26th February, assailants shot and killed Abelardo Quintero Duque, the president of the JAC in El Mango, Puerto Guzmán, Putumayo. Early reports indicated that Quintero was murdered in the morning as he left his home. Concerned family members went in search of him when he failed to return, eventually discovering his body in a nearby field, along with another male victim. Following the murder, social organisations and human rights platforms in Putumayo condemned the killing, which has deepened the sense of fear among local community leaders. This attack adds to recent incidents involving armed groups in the Santa Lucía area of Puerto Guzmán, intensifying security concerns.
• On 4th March, armed assailants fatally shot Dairo Yovani Aquite, an Indigenous leader from Páez, Cauca, as he travelled by motorcycle in the rural area of Vitoncó. Aquite was en route to the Santa Rosa de Capicísco reserve to sell supplies, a livelihood that supported his family. He had reported previous threats from post-peace accord groups, and his brother had also experienced abduction. Aquite served as a territorial authority for Santa Rosa de Capicisco in the Inzá population. According to Juliette De Rivero, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia, Cauca has experienced a 30 per cent increase in attacks on human rights defenders in 2024, making it one of the most affected regions. The UN documented 25 cases of murdered human rights defenders in Cauca this year alone, with 14 Indigenous leaders among them—13 of whom belonged to the Nasa community.
• On 5th March, armed men kidnapped and killed Josué Castellanos Pérez, a social leader in Tame, Arauca. The incident occurred in the Santa Helena area, where Castellanos was attending a community meeting. Assailants entered the meeting, disarmed his security detail and forcibly took him to the outskirts of the municipality, where they fatally shot him. Castellanos was well-regarded for his dedication to strengthening JAC and supporting local banana farming initiatives in the foothills.

• On 7th March, post-peace accord groups abducted and killed Segundo Virgilio Imbachí, a social leader and president of the JAC in Vereda 81, Balboa, southern Cauca, after taking him from Leiva, Nariño. His murder followed intense clashes between illegal armed groups that forced over 20 families to flee and confined more than 100 people in the area.
• On 17th March, members of post-peace accord groups killed Carmelina Yule Paví, an Indigenous leader and member of the community guard in La Bodega, Toribío. Known as “La Mayora,” Carmelina was committed to her community, standing up to armed groups even after enduring multiple personal losses, including the murders of her two sons in 2020 and 2021. During the attack, Carmelina confronted the dissidents when they abducted a young community member. Refusing to back down, she approached the armed men despite her granddaughter’s pleas to retreat. The assailants responded with gunfire, fatally wounding Carmelina.
• On 19th March, post-peace accord groups killed Álvaro Javier Morales Flor, president of the Community Action Board in Ortega, Cauca. Witnesses stated that Morales was stopped at an illegal checkpoint set up by an armed group in the El Dinde area, a remote region approximately six hours from Cajibío’s urban centre. The assailants abducted Morales as he travelled to the town on personal matters. On the morning of 20th March, local residents discovered his body.
• On 24th March, armed assailants killed Yirleana Lorena Moreno Cuesta in a border area near Panama in Quibdó, Chocó. As a member of the Network of Mothers and Caregivers of Young Homicide Victims, Moreno worked to promote peace and seek justice for victims of violence in her community. Her murder adds to the growing number of women leaders targeted since the signing of Colombia’s Peace Accord. According to the Institute for Development and Peace Studies (INDEPAZ), Yirleana’s death marks the 181st assassination of a female social leader since the Peace Accord in 2016, with three cases already recorded in 2024. Chocó’s illegal armed groups contribute to the risks faced by social leaders.
• On 31st March, armed members of the FARC dissident groups (Fronts 10, 28, and 45) abducted and killed Graciel Mendoza in Tame, Arauca. Preliminary reports indicated that these perpetrators arrived at the Coagrosarae cooperative, where Mendoza was present, detonated explosives and forcibly took him. Later, the community confirmed Mendoza’s death alongside Jorge Luis Meléndez, a local farmer. Mendoza was a member of the National Peasant Association José Antonio Galán Zorro and the Municipal Victims’ Committee.

Afro-Colombian leaders face threats in Buenaventura and forced displacement

On 22nd January 2024, armed actors attempted to seize control of the La Plata Bahía Málaga Community Council, a group of Afro-Colombian communities in Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. The armed group also used rifles and threatened community members with kidnapping. The following day, the same group reportedly returned and engaged in indiscriminate gunfire, intensifying the threat to the community’s safety.

In February 2024, the armed group sought meetings with community leaders in a nearby area that had become an operational base for their activities. Despite the community’s repeated requests for protection, authorities reportedly failed to take effective measures, resulting in the confinement and forced displacement of several community leaders. The community council face ongoing threats and attempts at territorial control by illegal armed groups, exacerbating the instability and insecurity in the region.

In response, on 8th April 2024, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued Resolution 19/2024, which granted precautionary measures to thirteen leaders of the La Plata Bahía Málaga Community Council. The IACHR acknowledged the ongoing threats and violence faced by the community and determined that urgent protective action was necessary.

Armed groups target environmental defenders

In early 2024, civil society organisations defending human rights and the environment in the Magdalena Medio region of Colombia, including the Regional Corporation for the Defence of Human Rights (CREDHOS) and the Federation of Artisanal Fishers, Environmentalists and Tourism Operators of Santander (FEDEPESAN), experienced escalating threats and violence.

On 1st January 2024, the General Group of the Magdalena Medio Bloc of the Gaitanist Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AGC) issued a public threat letter, specifically targeting members of CREDHOS and FEDEPESAN. On 9th February 2024, armed groups circulated flyers containing explicit threats against the president of CREDHOS. Shortly afterward, on 14th February, attackers threw a grenade into the home of a CREDHOS member, injuring several family members.

Expression

Radio host gunned down after threats

On 24th January, two men approached Mardonio Mejía Mendoza, director of the community radio station Sonora Estéreo, outside his home in the Calle Real neighbourhood of San Pedro, Sucre. They shot him twice in the head before fleeing. Neighbours alerted authorities, who rushed Mejía to the nearest health centre, but he arrived without vital signs. Police detained a suspect, based on information provided by witnesses who observed one of the assailants fleeing the scene.

Mejía was a well-known journalist and member of the Sucre cattle ranchers’ association, as well as an active member of the National College of Journalists. He hosted Amanecer Campesino, a popular programme in which he tackled issues like local security, crime and justice. In recent years, Mejía received anonymous extortion calls and threats related to his ranching activities and his outspoken stance on municipal administration, though he did not file formal complaints.

The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression (RELE) of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) condemned the murder. They also called on the state to investigate with due diligence, taking into consideration the journalist’s work as a possible motive for the crime.

Protesters assault journalist during 8th March demonstrations in Cúcuta

During the 8th March demonstrations in Cúcuta, protesters assaulted journalist Cristian Herrera from La Opinión and damaged the media outlet’s headquarters. A group of protesters gathered outside La Opinión’s premises and attempted to force entry. Staff from La Opinión and officers from the Cúcuta Police held the group back for some time. Despite their efforts, some protesters managed to breach the entrance, chanting slogans against the outlet and accusing it of “aggressors and accomplices in femicides.” Several protesters struck Herrera, kicking and punching him in the back and arms.

Meanwhile, others outside demanded that the doors be opened, and threw plastic bottles containing ink, water, blood and unidentified substances, splashing five additional journalists. The Cúcuta Police and accompanying journalists promptly intervened to block further entry and moved the protesters away, who continued their march towards the Governor’s Office. This swift intervention prevented further escalation.

Threats and harassment

From November 2023 to March 2024, the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP) documented at least 166 violations of press freedom, including 68 threats, 17 instances of harassment and 14 cases of stigmatisation, among other violations. A summary of the most notable cases follows:

• On 28th November, unidentified men targeted Viviana Llorente, a journalist with Noticias RCN, with harassment and death threats following her report on violence linked to the theft of flags from Barón Rojo Sur, a “barra brava” affiliated with the América de Cali football team. Llorente received numerous threatening text and audio messages, phone and video calls, all containing sexist language and derogatory terms. Perpetrators also left threatening messages at Noticias RCN’s headquarters, leading the network to suspend the full report for safety reasons. On the same day, the América de Cali “barra brava” publicly refuted the report on their X account, claiming it presented false information. The FLIP condemned the threats and Cali’s mayor-elect, Alejandro Eder, denounced the intimidation against Llorente.

• On 21st December 2023, an unknown person delivered a funeral wreath to the door of Camilo Chará, a journalist and former candidate for Cali City Council. This threat followed his recent public denunciation of alleged abuse against a woman by the city’s former culture secretary, Brayan Stiven Hurtado, in September 2023.
• On 25th December 2025, an unidentified man attacked the headquarters of El Periódico, an investigative newspaper in Valledupar, Cesar. The assailant broke through the roof, cut the electrical wiring, lights and security cameras and stole the wiring, leaving other valuable items untouched. This act of sabotage left the facilities without electricity, halting operations for several days. El Periódico, a local media outlet, focuses on issues surrounding public administration and resource management. According to the FLIP, El Periódico had already faced the theft of its floodlights in 2022, and since 2021, its director had received three threats and experienced three incidents of harassment.
• On 9th February 2024, after journalist Eliana Peñaloza of Publimetro criticised a post as animal abuse, Westcol publicly responded with misogynistic comments, belittling her work and making disparaging remarks about her appearance. Peñaloza subsequently received over 400 messages, including threats to reveal her phone number and death threats, forcing her to make her account private. The image, which depicted a black vulture tied by the neck, included the caption: “New pet. What shall we name it?” Following her defence of Peñaloza and criticism of Westcol’s actions, fellow Publimetro journalist Luz Lancheros also faced harassment. Threats directed at Lancheros included manipulated images placing her in a coffin and messages inviting others to her funeral, along with over 50 abusive comments about her weight, age and appearance. On 6th February, Westcol had threatened another journalist from Última Hora Col during a live broadcast, criticising his coverage of the same issue. The harassment compelled this journalist to delete his social media accounts and change his phone number to escape the intimidation.
• Alejandro Villanueva, director of the independent media outlet Desigual, has recently endured threats and harassment linked to his investigative reporting. Over the past two weeks, after publishing his reports titled “Who is Laundering Money in Bucaramanga?” and “The Comptroller of Santander and His Family Ties to the Autodefensas,” Villanueva encountered various forms of intimidation. The latest incident occurred on 1st March, when unknown people sent Villanueva over ten death threats via social media. Some of these messages incited violence against him and referenced his family members. Earlier, at the end of January 2024, Villanueva noticed men following him and subsequently received two additional threats in early February 2024: one in a shopping centre and another through social media. Villanueva reported these incidents to the Attorney General’s Office and requested a thorough investigation to hold those responsible accountable. In February, he also submitted an urgent request for a risk assessment to the National Protection Unit (UNP), though officials have yet to confirm whether they have acted on this request.
• On 5th April 2024, Aldemar Solano Cuellar and his family received threatening calls, with anonymous callers warning they would “soon pay the price” and had “not been forgotten,” suggesting imminent harm. Solano Cuellar is the Director of the digital news outlet Conexión and resident of Villavicencio, Meta Department. Solano reported these threats to the Attorney General’s Office on 1st April 2024. Fearing for his safety, Solano confined himself to his home, disrupting his professional activities. Despite multiple complaints to the Attorney General’s Office, the authorities have reportedly made no significant progress in addressing the threats. These recent threats followed a series of events beginning on 20th November 2023, when a man identifying himself as “Gustavo Salazar,” allegedly a Clan del Golfo member, called Solano. “Salazar” demonstrated knowledge of Solano’s personal details and demanded his cooperation in a “political dialogue” with the local commander, aiming to recruit Solano for a “social cleansing” operation in Meta Department. When Solano refused, two armed men appeared at his residence, warning that he risked losing his life and that of his son. Solano reported the threats to the Attorney General’s Office the following day, and officials advised him to leave the country, calling the threat a “death sentence.” Consequently, Solano and his family fled Meta for Bogotá, only returning to Villavicencio in January 2024 to sustain their livelihoods.

Legal threats to media

On 12th November 2024, the Mayor of Cali and the Secretary of Security posted messages on their X profile and the official mayoral website that contained stigmatising and intimidating language targeting the media outlet El País. One message stated: “According to El País, homicides and other crimes have not decreased, and we have falsified information between the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the police, and the Mayor’s Office. According to them, we have hired criminals in the Secretariat. I would like to ask everyone in the Secretariat mentioned to take legal action.”

El País had previously published an article questioning crime statistics released by the Security Secretariat, suggesting that the Mayor’s Office, the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the police may have manipulated the data. In his post, the mayor encouraged these organisations to pursue legal action against El País and directly accused journalist Hugo Mario Cárdenas of slander, despite Cárdenas citing sources and documents to substantiate his reporting.

The FLIP condemned these actions, asserting that they undermine the role of investigative journalism and discredit the work of El País.

On 26th February 2024, Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office will proceed with charges against caricaturist Jaime Poveda, known as “Bacteria”, due to a 2019 social media post. In the post, “Bacteria” referenced remarks made by former Inspector General Alejandro Ordóñez about alleged drug trafficking connections within Congress, indirectly suggesting a link to former President Álvaro Uribe. Uribe’s legal representative, Abelardo De La Espriella, subsequently filed a complaint, alleging aggravated slander and arguing that the post defamed Uribe by implying his involvement in drug trafficking.

Despite the absence of evidence showing actual harm to Uribe’s reputation, the Attorney General has continued with the criminal case, rejecting Poveda’s appeal for dismissal based on freedom of expression protections. The FLIP criticised this decision, describing it as a misuse of criminal law to stifle free speech and warning that it sets a dangerous precedent that could foster judicial harassment against critical media voices.

Medellín court lifts gag order on TV network

On 26th February 2024, the Criminal Chamber of the Medellín Superior Court overturned the lower court’s ruling, which had ordered the program Séptimo Día and the network Caracol TV to refrain from publishing the first name and image of María Laura Roldán, a lawyer publicly accused by four clients of alleged fraud in immigration procedures. Séptimo Día had investigated Roldán in relation to these allegations, but in December 2023, a court ordered the programme to avoid broadcasting any content identifying her by name or image, citing the need to protect her fundamental rights.

The Medellín Superior Court, however, found that Caracol TV had adhered to principles of public relevance, truthfulness and impartiality in its reporting on the accusations of contractual misconduct. The court deemed the matter one of public interest, emphasising that public access to information is essential, particularly when events may affect the broader community.

Furthermore, the court ruled that the plaintiff’s request constituted an instance of prior censorship by the judiciary. The judicial authority underscored that both international and domestic law prohibit courts from exercising preemptive control over informational content to restrict the dissemination of certain information.

Peaceful Assembly

Bogotá’s Women’s Day March descends into chaos amid police crackdown

On the evening of 8th March 2024, during International Women’s Day celebrations in Bogotá, security forces disrupted the march, dispersing protesters with tear gas. Media reports indicated that the march had remained peaceful until the afternoon, when lights in Plaza de Bolívar were turned off and access points were blocked. Shortly afterwards, authorities used stun grenades and tear gas.

Activists and protesters criticised Bogotá’s mayor, Carlos Fernando Galán, describing the police response as disproportionate, given the peaceful nature of the march. Feminist groups that organised the event condemned the incident as a violation of prior agreements made with authorities to ensure a safe environment for all participants, including young girls, adults and elderly women. They noted an excessive presence of riot police personnel, insufficient traffic coordination and inadequate measures to maintain lighting and safe passage in Plaza de Bolívar.

Civil society organisation Temblores issued a public statement highlighting four specific concerns: excessive and intimidating police presence, violent and indiscriminate intervention by security forces, insufficient institutional understanding of the demonstration and stigmatising statements regarding social protest.

President Gustavo Petro also condemned the use of force against protesters and called for an investigation.

Indigenous community occupies Bogotá’s National Park in fight for dignity

Since 9th October 2023, roughly 500 members of the Emberá indigenous community have been staging a peaceful protest in Bogotá’s National Park, challenging what they describe as the Colombian government’s failure to protect their rights. According to Minority Rights Group, the Emberá are Colombia’s third largest indigenous people with an estimated population of around 196,115. Displaced by violence, they stated that the government’s efforts to safeguard their ancestral lands and well-being have fallen short. They are calling for dignified living conditions—access to adequate shelter, healthcare, and sanitation—amid ongoing pleas for a resolution that addresses their displacement and rights.

Community leader Miguel Sintúa explained that Emberá families returned to Bogotá due to the government’s unfulfilled promises to those who had previously gone back to their ancestral lands.

Despite repeated attempts at dialogue, the community continues to live in tents and shacks under precarious conditions in Bogota, which have led to health issues. Tragically, on 28th November 2023, a three-year-old boy from the community died after arriving at Hospital Universitario San Ignacio without vital signs.

To press for action, the Emberá have occupied the Victims Unit, blocked 26th Avenue, and forced entry into state institutions. In response, government representatives, including the Victims Unit, Bogotá’s Secretariat of Government, and the Ministry of the Interior, set up a dialogue table to address the community’s demands for relocation to safer housing and improved living conditions.

Among the commitments, the Victims Unit pledged to provide musical instruments to support the cultural heritage of the Emberá Katío and to assess a central Bogotá property, offered by the Sociedad de Activos Especiales (SAE), as a potential resettlement site. Despite these agreements, unresolved issues prompted further protests on 16th January 2024, when members of the Emberá attempted to enter the Mayor’s office, demanding Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán uphold agreements made by the previous administration. The protests have since continued, impacting various city avenues and causing traffic disruptions.

Colombians demand action as vote on Attorney General falters

On 10th February 2024, hundreds of people demonstrated outside the Colombian Supreme Court building in Bogotá, urging the court to select a new Attorney General from a list proposed by President Petro. Trade unionists, students and indigenous people gathered in response to Petro’s call to demonstrate across major cities, including Cali and Medellín. Meanwhile, justices met in Bogotá to choose a successor to outgoing Attorney General Francisco Barbosa, whom Petro accused of attempting to undermine his administration.

The marches remained peaceful until the Chief Justice announced that none of the candidates had secured the required 16 votes. Demonstrators then surrounded the judicial building, blocking access to the area where the justices were convened. By late afternoon, riot police dispersed the protest with tear gas.

Protocol for peaceful protests in Medellín

On 18th October 2023, the Municipality of Medellín approved Decree No. 0889, establishing a regulatory framework to protect the right to peaceful protest and mobilisation in the city. This decree provides guidelines and procedures to uphold citizens’ rights when participating in peaceful demonstrations. The framework is based on core principles such as human dignity, equality, non-discrimination, proportionality in the use of force, and solidarity. The protocol incorporates perspectives on human rights, dialogue, gender, ethnicity and a “do no harm” approach.

Developed through the Roundtable for Concertation on Mobilisation and Peaceful Protest, the protocol was a collaborative initiative led by Medellín’s Secretariat of Non-Violence, with contributions from the Subsecretariat for Human Rights, civil society organisations, the United Nations, the Public Ministry and the National Police.