On this page, you’ll find the latest updates on Colombia and the current security situation as of November 2024. WOLA closely monitors the situation in collaboration with communities and partners, and we will continue to update this page as new information becomes available.
Afro-Colombian Community at Risk of Losing Ancestral Lands (Cauca)
In November 2024, the Afrorenacer del Micay Community Council is de facto losing its rights over its territories, which will be destroyed by a large-scale development project it did not agree to. On July 25, 2024, the Colombian National Land Agency recognized the “Afrorenacer del Micay” Community Council’s ancestral claim to 28,417 hectares in the Micay Canyon, Cauca Department. Since March 2020, dissident FARC-EP factions (the Carlos Patiño, Dagoberto Ramos, and Jaime Martínez fronts) have murdered community leaders and internally displaced residents. Once the rightful owners of the land were taken out, foreign rural farmers and community boards not connected to the Afrorenacer del Micay Community Council took over. As a result, unregulated illegal mining has increased, leading to deforestation and water pollution, threatening the environment and the community’s health. This replacement of ancestral communities’ ethnic authorities with outsiders is a strategy the dissident guerillas are utilizing to take over territories for illicit economies. Despite the legitimate Community Council’s objections, exploitation of natural resources has continued.
The proposed Arrieros del Micay Dam large-scale development project effort has further eroded the Community Council’s rights by utilizing the media to legitimize the usurpers, calling them stakeholders. This dam project would fully take over the ancestral lands of the Afrorenacer Micay Community Council. It is advancing by displacing the communities, killing the leaders, and denying the rightful owners the process of free, prior, and informed consent. While the rightful community had obtained a court decision that affirms their right that calls for precautionary measures to be placed on this land, Colombian national authorities have not enforced them. National and international authorities must intervene to guarantee that this does not occur. Beyond land rights, this practice will lead to an extermination of this community’s culture and practices and the natural environment.
Indigenous Ethno-educator Killed in Solano (Caquetá)
On November 3, 2024, the Institute for the Study of Development and Peace (Instituto de Estudios para el Desarrollo y la Paz, INDEPAZ) reported that Darwin Falla Teteye, a recognized ethno-educator from the Uitoto community, was found dead. This occurred in the Indigenous community of Los Estrechos, located in Solano municipality, Caquetá Department. Falla Teteye worked at the Fortunato Really Educational Institution of the Puerto Sábalo Los Monos Indigenous Reserve in Murui Muina. Colombia’s Ombudsman’s Office issued early warning alerts – AT 011/22, which includes Solano, and –AT 019/23 for leaders, leadership, and human rights defenders. These are at high risk of harm due to illegal armed groups’ imposition of rules and their social control over civilians. Illegal armed groups present in Solano include the Carolina Ramírez Front (Carolina Ramírez del Bloque Amazonas Manuel Marulanda Vélez), Front 62 of Jorge Briceño Suárez Bloc of the FARC (Front 62 Rodrigo Cadete del Bloque Jorge Suárez Briceño), and the Colombian Army’s Sixth Division.
Rights Ombudsman Kidnapped and Killed in Cumbitara (Nariño)
On November 5, 2024, the Institute for the Study of Development and Peace (Instituto de Estudios para el Desarrollo y la Paz, INDEPAZ) reported that the Ombudsman of Cumbitara, Nariño Department, Jimmy Alejandro Rosero Chávez, was kidnapped and killed. Rosero Chávez was meeting with community members, ESE municipality officials, and victims’ liaisons when unknown individuals forcibly took him away in a truck. The incident occurred in the Las Piedras village in Cumbitara’s rural area. The Ombudsman’s body was later found in the Puente Rojo area. Colombia’s Ombudsman’s Office issued an early warning alert AT 008/24 for the Cumbitara, El Rosario, Leiva, Policarpa, and Taminango (Nariño). In this, it states that there are security risks for civilians due to illegal armed groups vying for control of these areas. The groups in question are the EMC’s “Franco Benavides Front, “the ELN’s Southern Comuneros Front (Frente Comuneros del Sur), the Second Marquetalia, and the self-proclaimed United Self-Defense Forces of Nariño (AUN). The Colombian armed forces and other local criminal groups also operate in these parts.
Social Leader killed in Barrancabermeja (Santander)
On November 6, 2024, the Institute for the Study of Development and Peace (Instituto de Estudios para el Desarrollo y la Paz, INDEPAZ) reported that hitmen killed Rodolfo Enrique Rivera Tarazona, the vice president of the Social Action Board of the La Bendición de Dios settlement in Barrancabermeja, Santander Department. Colombia’s Ombudsman’s Office of Colombia previously issued an early warning alert AT 027/22 for the municipalities of Yondó (Antioquia), Barrancabermeja, Puerto Wilches, and Simacota (Santander). It warned that civilians were at risk due to ongoing disputes between the Gulf Clan (Clan del Golfo), the National Liberation Army (ELN), and organized crime groups. These conflicts are tied to control over drug trafficking networks and other illegal activities, including extortion, arms trafficking, and fuel theft. Armed groups present in Barrancabermeja include the Gulf Clan (AGC), the ELN, other local criminal gangs, and the Colombian Army’s Second Division.
Afro-Colombian Authorities Send Out SOS (Choco)
On November 11, 2024, the Afro-Colombian General Council of San Juan (Consejo Comunitario General del San Juan, ACADESAN) stated the San Juan flooding is compounding the grave crisis their communities are already facing due to the activities by the illegal armed groups. The flooding of the San Juan River intensifies the existing humanitarian crisis: homes, infrastructure, and essential resources that affect over 4,500 families. ACADESAN called on President Gustavo Petro and Vice President Francia Márquez to protect the population by activating the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) and declaring a housing emergency. The council further calls on the government to expedite the implementation of the 50 collective protection measures agreed by the Colombian Government in 2023, and to address health crises caused by disease outbreaks following the floods. Lastly, ACADESAN calls for a multilateral ceasefire involving all armed actors to ensure peace and the protection of community rights.
Massacre in Riohacha (La Guajira)
On November 15, 2024, the Institute for the Study of Development and Peace (Instituto de Estudios para el Desarrollo y la Paz, INDEPAZ) reported that four bodies were found in the rural area of Perico and El Ebanal in located in Riohacha, la Guajira department. The victims, who are yet to be identified, bore signs of torture and were discovered by residents. The Ombudsman’s Office issued an early warning AT 025/23, drawing attention to the ongoing territorial disputes among armed groups in the region. The alert highlights how these conflicts drive escalating violence, eroding the social fabric and endangering civilian populations. This violence is part of a broader strategy by armed factions to consolidate and expand territorial control, further exacerbated by internal restructuring within these groups. Armed actors operating in the area include the EGC (Gaitanista Army of Colombia), ACSN (Conquering Self-Defense Forces of the Sierra Nevada), and various local armed gangs.
Social Leader Killed in El Banco (Magdalena)
On November 15, 2024, the Institute for the Study of Development and Peace (Instituto de Estudios para el Desarrollo y la Paz, INDEPAZ) reported that Manuel Moya Villarreal was assassinated in the municipality of El Banco, Magdalena department. Villarreal was a recognized social leader and president of the Community Action Board of the El Trébol. The Ombudsman’s Office has issued the early warnings AT 012/21, including El Banco and AT 019/23, on the risks social leaders, community representatives, and human rights defenders face. These alerts highlight the ongoing threats faced by individuals involved in defending human rights and leading social initiatives, as well as the imposition of norms and social control by armed groups, which poses a persistent risk to the rights of the population. Groups operating in the municipality include the EGC (Gaitanista Army of Colombia), ELN (National Liberation Army), and various local armed gangs.
3 Men Massacred in Bugalagrande (Valle del Cauca)
On November 17, 2024, the Institute for the Study of Development and Peace (Instituto de Estudios para el Desarrollo y la Paz, INDEPAZ) reported that three people were massacred in the municipality of Bugalagrande, Valle del Cauca department. The incident occurred in a rural area connecting Bugalagrande with Andalucía, where gunmen attacked the victims. One person died at the scene, two more died at a nearby healthcare center, and another is currently recovering. The Ombudsman’s Office previously issued the early warning AT 025/24 regarding the dispute for territorial control between the 57th Front Yair Bermúdez and the Adán Izquierdo Front in rural sectors of Sevilla, Caicedonia, Bugalagrande and Tuluá, which could extend to Andalusia. The alert warns of potential armed clashes between these groups that could have indiscriminate effects, including in populated centers. Groups operating in the municipality include the 57th Front Yair Bermúdez (Frente 57), the Adán Izquierdo Front of the Isaías Pardo Central Bloc (Frente Adán Izquierdo), and local gangs.
MOVICE Condemns Appointment of Former Paramilitary Leaders
On November 18, 2024, the National Movement of Victims of State Crimes (Movimiento Nacional de Víctimas de Crímenes de Estado, MOVICE) issued a statement strongly opposing the appointment of former paramilitary leaders as peace managers. The organization expressed grave concerns about the Colombian National Government’s decision, emphasizing the paramilitaries’ historically limited contribution to uncovering the truth during their demobilization process.
MOVICE criticized the ongoing lack of transparency regarding the involvement of third parties in the paramilitary military and financial strategies and their documented ties to state institutions, particularly within the public force. The organization also condemned the implementation of the total peace policy, arguing that it lacks an ethical foundation and fails to include prior political dialogue with those who have borne the brunt of the conflict, particularly victims of paramilitary violence. MOVICE reaffirmed that no National Agreement or peace-building process can be legitimate or sustainable without the active participation of victims. They called for greater transparency in decision-making processes and the prioritization of comprehensive reparations for all victims of the armed conflict. The organization concluded that true peace requires amplifying and respecting the voices of those most affected by state crimes.
Human Rights Defender Assassinated (Casanare)
On November 23, 2024, the Institute for the Study of Development and Peace (Instituto de Estudios para el Desarrollo y la Paz, INDEPAZ) reported that Lida Katherine Rojas Torres was assassinated with a firearm in the Carbonera canal area, Casanare Department. Ms. Rojas Torres was a recognized human rights defender in the Plan Brisas de Aguazul community. The Ombudsman’s Office issued Early Warning Alerts AT 023/23 and 019/23 for this region. These specify that social leaders and human rights defenders are facing high-risk scenarios. Individuals dedicated to the defense of human rights and social leadership, whether individually or collectively, across various areas or sectors in the country, may face threats, forced disappearances, selective homicides, massacres, confinement, or mobility restrictions. These persons are at risk of being indiscriminately attacked with improvised explosive devices. The armed groups in the department include Front 10, Front 28 of the Joint Eastern Command, the ELN, and the transit of the AGC.
Indigenous Leader Found Dead (Tumaco)
On November 24, 2024, the Indigenous Unit of the Awa People (UNIPA) reported that Lorenzo Pascal Guanga was found murdered with signs of torture on the banks of the Nulpe River in Tumaco. Mr. Guanga served as interim governor of the Awa indigenous people. UNIPA stated that this assassination forms part of a systematic extermination effort against their communities. Since the 2016 peace agreement, they have suffered 110 assassinations, with violence and impunity remaining the norm. UNIPA urges the Ombudsman’s Office, the Nariño Government, the Presidential Adviser for Human Rights, and the Attorney General’s Office to take immediate action to address the security crisis. Mr. Guanga’s murder should be investigated, and the perpetrators brought to justice. Protection measures are required for their communities. The authorities also ask that governmental entities assist the victim’s family, facing severe economic hardship. There is a critical need to safeguard the fundamental rights, security, and cultural integrity of the Awa people; both national and international entities must support their pursuit of justice and peace.
Guerillas Impede Bari Indigenous Advancing Court Sentence Guaranteeing Their Territorial Rights (Catatumbo)
On November 25, 2024, the Association of Traditional Authorities of the Bari People (Asociación de Autoridades Tradicionales del Pueblo Bari, NATUBAIYBARI), reported an incident during a meeting held in the Corroncaira community, El Carmen municipality, Norte de Santander. The Natubaiybari territory team members met with the National Land Agency (Agencia Nacional de Tierras, ANT) to discuss a possible visit to the Motilón Bari Reserve in line with Constitutional Court Sentence T-052 of 2017 and the Catatumbo Territorial Pact. During the meeting, they were interrupted by armed men from the ELN Camilo Torres Front barging in and demanding that the ANT team leave the community.
These actions obstruct the Court process to guarantee the Bari their territorial rights. The Colombian government must ensure security for the Bari and that the process moves forward. The Bari authorities want the government to set up a bilateral table to determine how to implement the T-052 of 2017 ruling. The Bari authorities are concerned that the government is not coherent regarding the peace dialogue with the ELN since the ELN is not respecting their land rights process. Since land is at the root of the conflict and a peace dialogue is in place, they think such conduct should not occur. They warn that violence limits the ANT and Ministry of Agriculture’s work in the Catatumbo region.
Massacre in Policarpa (Nariño)
On November 27, 2024, the Institute for the Study of Development and Peace (Instituto de Estudios para el Desarrollo y la Paz, INDEPAZ) reported that four individuals were assassinated inside a residence in the Miraflores neighborhood of Policarpa, Nariño Department. One of the victims was identified as a 22-year-old male from Solano, Caquetá, named Ángel Nieto. Details regarding the other victims remain unknown at this time. The Ombudsman’s Office has issued Alert AT 008/24, indicating the potential for attacks against life, physical integrity, and means of subsistence amid ongoing hostilities and disruptions. The alert also highlights the possibility of individual and collective threats, forced disappearances, selective homicides, and even indiscriminate attacks using improvised explosive devices. Armed groups present in the region include the Western Bloc of the FARC-EP (Bloque Occidental de las FARC-EP), the Southern Communal Front (Frente Comunal del Sur), the United Self-Defense Forces of Nariño (Autodefensas Unidas de Nariño), and the Bolivarian National Coordinator of the Colombian Army (Coordinadora Nacional del Ejército Bolivariano).
UN Human Rights Council Condemns Gender-Based Violence in Pradera (Valle del Cauca)
On November 29, 2024, the UN Human Rights Council in Colombia reported that Diana Carolina Castro and her underage daughter Carol Fernández were killed in their home in Pradera, Valle del Cauca Department. According to reports, a group of armed individuals forcibly entered the victims’ residence and shot them fatally. This double homicide occurred during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, which sparked deep concern over the persistent violence affecting vulnerable populations in southwestern Colombia, particularly women, children, indigenous, Afro-descendant, and rural communities. The situation underscores the critical need to address the issues of gender-based violence and the disproportionate impact on minority and rural communities in the region.
Human Rights Defender Faces Threats (Santander)
On November 29, 2024, the Campaign to Defend Freedom (Campaña Defender la Libertad) reported that Santiago Gamboa, a human rights defender, is facing death threats. During a session of the Territorial Guarantees Board of Santander, Gamboa denounced the presence and alleged collusion between successor paramilitary structures and agents of the State. The campaign urges the government to advance the Public Policy to Dismantle organizations and to continue the National Guarantee Process. The safety and security of human rights defenders like Santiago Gamboa are of utmost importance, and the authorities have been urged to take all necessary measures to protect them and ensure they can carry out their vital work without fear of reprisal.
Youth Leader Abducted by Armed Group (Cauca)
On November 29, 2024, El País reported the kidnapping of John Alejandro Hernández, a prominent youth leader known for his role in youth activism, the cultural memory of Puerto Resistencia and his participation in Sueños en Concreto, a film highlighting the mobilizations during Colombia’s 2021 national strike. Hernández was abducted on November 28th during the commemoration of 24 Years of La Pedregosa, an event bringing together community, campesino, youth, and faith-based organizations in La Pedregosa, Cauca. Armed men, identified as members of the Jaime Martínez Front of FARC dissidents, interrupted the gathering, confiscated attendees’ phones and IDs, and detained Hernández after allegedly finding messages from the ELN on his phone. Despite protests from human rights defenders and community members, the armed men forcibly took Hernández to an unknown location.
The Inter-Church Commission for Justice and Peace (Comisión Intereclesial de Justicia y Paz) condemned the abduction, calling for the immediate release of Hernández and emphasizing the importance of respecting the autonomy of community organizations working toward peace, truth, and justice. They criticized the national government for failing to guarantee the safety of human rights defenders, social leaders, and communities striving to end violence and build a dignified and peaceful society.
Rising Violence Sparks Alerts in Nariño
On November 29, 2024, the Institute for the Study of Development and Peace (Instituto de Estudios para el Desarrollo y la Paz, INDEPAZ) reported a surge in violence in Nariño Department. The organization documented incidents from January 1 to November 28, 2024. During this period, three massacres claimed 12 lives. Among the victims were Carlos César Camacho Valencia, political leader and councilman of Santa Bárbara de Iscuandé, Ombudsman Jimmy Alejandro Rosero Chávez from Cumbitara, and Lorenzo Pascual Guanga, the acting governor of the Anza Mapai community in the Awá Indigenous Reserve El Gran Sábalo. In addition to these tragic killings, three social leaders were also murdered, and eight people fell victim to anti-personnel mines, underscoring the dangerous environment for community activists. The region remains under the influence of several armed groups, including the Jacobo Arenas Western Bloc (Bloque Occidental Jacobo Arenas), the National Coordinator of the Bolivarian Army (Coordinadora Nacional del Ejército Bolivariano), and various dissident factions of the FARC, along with local criminal gangs. These groups maintain control over parts of Nariño, perpetuating a volatile and dangerous security situation.
Gimena Sánchez-Garzoli
