A cloud of uncertainty has settled over the territories of Colombia; the yearnings for peace and the fforts to make progress in achieving it do not coincide with the reality faced today by the civilian population in rural and urban areas throughout the country. A little more than two years into the current government, which was expected to make significant progress in terms of guarantees and security for those who defend rights, it is not encouraging to see that the situation of the civilian population in rural and urban areas of the country has not improved.
War is still present and even much stronger in almost all of the country’s departments. There is a clear deterioration in the humanitarian situation, a strengthening of illegal armed groups has been identified and, at the close of this report, most of the processes of political dialogue and subjugation are at a standstill or stalled. This is not a good time for the population, especially for human rights defenders and social leaders.
Selective violence against them persists, a reality that is far from disappearing. However, the first half of the year shows a change in the dynamics of aggressions, marked by a decrease in the number of confirmed violent acts compared to the same period in 2023. It may seem paradoxical that while the war settles in the territories, defenders are victims of fewer aggressions, but this may have an explanation based on two hypotheses that we dare to outline. 1. The installation
and greater presence of illegal armed groups in some areas leads to a shift from violent repertoires to actions of social control, 2. The greater the presence of armed groups, the greater the silencing of the population and, therefore, the greater the underreporting of aggressions.
In any case, violence against human rights defenders and social leaders continues to occur. 355 aggressions registered during the first semester of 2024 and within these, 65 murders, mean that many lives continue to be affected in different ways due to the fact of defending the human rights of their communities. Behind what appear to be numbers, actually there are lives, many of them no longer there because violence has taken them away from their processes, families and communities, and many others at high risk due to the strengthening of armed actors and the lack of effective strategies by the State to provide guarantees.
For this reason, we want the messages and analysis contained in this report to reach the entire society, but particularly the National Government, as an urgent Telegram sent from all corners of Colombia with the voices of people who demand peace and respect for life.
