Security Council to address wave of violence in Colombia

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Violence and assassinations of social leaders in Colombia will be one of the topics to be discussed this Tuesday at the United Nations Security Council. It is expected that the president, Iván Duque, will participate in this session.

Duque will present a balance of the progress made in implementing the Peace with Legality policy during his administration.

It is the first time that the Colombian president will address the UN Security Council, the body that established the Verification Mission to implement the peace agreement, whose mandate was extended until October 31, 2022.

Organizations, social movements, and opposition political forces have criticized the intervention of the Colombian president by not allowing the presence of victims of the recent wave of violence at the Security Council headquarters.

The visit of the Colombian head of state takes place a few days after a recent report of the multilateral organization that expresses concern about the increase of violence in several departments of the country, such as Chocó, Putumayo, and Arauca.

According to the report on the situation in Colombia by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the civilian population is the most affected by the wave of violence, including indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities.

The document recalls that, since the signing of the Peace Agreement in September 2016, 315 ex-combatants have been killed, of which 11 occurred in the last quarter.

António Guterres has requested the Colombian state to ensure the protection of people at risk in rural areas where armed rebel groups operate.

He also insisted on addressing the specific risks and needs of female ex-combatants adequately.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs registered more than 13,000 forcibly displaced persons in Colombia between January 1 and March 15 of this year.

Meanwhile, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights received information on the murders of 43 activists and social leaders, including four women.

In this regard, the UN offices considered that it is urgent to fully implement the security guarantees stipulated in the peace agreement to reinforce prevention and protection measures by the Colombian authorities towards former combatants, social, and indigenous leaders.