With the promise of establishing substantial changes in Colombia, based on social and environmental justice and a transformation of the security policy, recently inaugurated President Gustavo Petro, faces serious challenges at a time of increasing sociopolitical violence. According to 500 Colombian human rights organizations, the outgoing Iván Duque administration left a legacy of “hunger and war,” which became systematic human rights violations, increased violence against leaders and human rights defenders,[1] a reactivation of the armed conflict, an expansion of paramilitary[2] and other armed groups, as well as the expansion of illicit use crops and cocaine production in the country. [3]

In this context, the new president stated that he will prioritize social dialogue[4] as a pillar to resolve the armed conflict, which has persisted over six decades in Colombia. He also highlighted the need to protect to communities and human rights to overcome the country’s historic inequalities. The Petro administration has declared that “Total Peace,”[5] a law recently approved by Congress, will be a cornerstone of his policy to disarm all illegal armed structures, open negotiations with armed groups, bring criminal organizations before the justice system, and definitively end the conflict.[6] The “Total Peace” policy includes several proposals from “Somos Génesis,” a network of over 180 ethnic-territorial communities, victims of the armed conflict, and who, since 2020, have been calling for the signature of Global Humanitarian Agreements and dialogue with the armed actors, allowing them to live in peace in their territory.[7] Unfortunately, these petitions were not addressed by the prior administration.

One of the greatest challenges faced by the Office of the High Commissioner for Peace, led by Danilo Rueda,[8] since day one of its mandate is to reverse implementation mistakes relative to the Peace Agreement signed in 2016,[9] which have been repeatedly denounced by victims, peace signatories, and human rights organizations. Since the Petro administration took office in August, dialogues were reactivated between the government and ELN (National Liberation Army) guerrillas,[10] 22 armed structures[11] have manifested interest in join the “Total Peace” proposal, and 10 illegal armed groups[12] have signed a multilateral ceasefire as an initial demonstration of their willingness to initiate peace dialogues.

Although this new paradigm opens up the possibility of a historical change, the violence continues, specifically affecting communities, social leaders, and peace agreement signatories, with a disproportionate impact on women, Indigenous and Afro-Colombian peoples.[13] It is concerning that, to date, 154 human rights defenders[14] and 35 signatories of the Peace Agreement have been killed.[15] In addition, there were 87 massacres with 274 fatal victims.[16] Even though, eight murders were reported during the new government’s first month in office, September is the month, so far, with fewest leaders murdered in 2022.[17]

In response to this challenge, the coalitions of Colombian human rights and social organizations have prepared an emergency plan for the protection of leaders, human rights defenders, and peace signatories,[18] the policy to be implemented by the Ministry of Interior, with leadership from the new human rights director, Franklin Castañeda.[19] The emergency plan prioritizes 65 municipalities and six capitals in the regions historically hardest hit by the armed conflict,[20]and where major state abandonment and a lack of guarantees for the defense of human rights has been documented.

It is also important to note the installation of the Commission for Follow-up, Promotion, and Verification of the Peace Agreement’s Implementation and the re-installation of the National Commission on Security Guarantees, as was foreseen in the Peace Agreement, to develop a policy to dismantle the paramilitary structures and other social measures to protect leaders. Despite multiple calls from Colombian civil society and the international community, the Commission did present any advances during the previous administration.[21]

PBI Colombia.

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