EFE/Mauricio Dueñas

 Even with the current government’s plans in Colombia to find ways to total peace, the murders of social leaders in the country have reached their highest point in recent years.

The Ombudsman’s Office said that in its official figures there are 199 social leaders killed so far in 2022. In this way, these figures represent the largest increase in murders since 2016. The departments with the highest number of murders are Nariño, Cauca, Arauca, Antioquia and Putumayo.

On the other hand, other humanitarian organizations in Colombia have registered significant increases in other indicators such as confinement and mass displacement.

The Institute of Studies for Development and Peace affirms that 61 social leaders and signatories of the Peace Agreement have been killed in the period of time since the inauguration of the government of President Gustavo Petro to the present.

Because of this phenomenon of murders of social leaders, the numbers of confinement and forced displacement have also increased, especially in the departments of Cauca, Nariño, Putumayo and Antioquia.  In the first two departments is where the highest levels of violence since 2022 are found, including the murder of social leaders. Also in these departments, illicit economies such as coca cultivation and trafficking are constantly reported, as well as confrontations between criminal gangs.

Meanwhile, in Antioquia, the murder of 20 social leaders was reported in 2022 and the civilian population denounced attacks between criminal gangs, specifically between the former FARC and the Urabeños. This fact was reconfirmed by the Colombian Army.  In Putumayo and Arauca, 20 and 12 cases of murders of social leaders were registered, respectively.

In electoral times, these groups outside the law take advantage of the situation to force their influence and presence in situations of uncertainty for the civilian population. These groups also take advantage of the negotiating intentions of governments, to strengthen their criminal behavior in terms of economic activities.

The Colombian media Semana warned about the current government’s attempt to make a non-aggression pact with the ELN and an agreement so that the military does not operate in Bajo Calima, Valle del Cauca, Medio San Juan and Chocó.

During 2021, 171 social leaders and 43 peace signatories were registered, of which 96 of them were killed, according to Indepaz. For its part, 2022 was cataloged as the year where there were more murders of social leaders. From January to November alone, 199 cases were filed.

According to the report, community leaders were the biggest victims, registering 62 cases; followed by indigenous leaders with 44 cases and community leaders with 33. The list is completed by peasants (15); afro (12); trade union (7); human rights activist (5); cultural (5); SIGD/LGBTI (4); student (2); victims (2); children, adolescents and young people (2); civil servants (2); peace managers (2), and women (2).

The Ombudsman’s Office also explained that, of the 199 homicides, 92% of these crimes against men, while the remaining 8% were against women.

This entity also revealed that the departments where the most murders were registered were Nariño, Cauca, Putumayo and Antioquia.  followed by Arauca (12); Valle del Cauca (11); Bolivar (9); Santander (9); Chocó (7); Tolima (7); Caquetá (6); Cesar (4); Santander (4); Goal (4); La Guajira (3); Sucre (3); Cordoba (3); Huila (3); San Andrés (2); Magdalena (2); Boyacá (2); Risaralda (2) and Bogotá (2). In the case of Caldas, Cundinamarca, Casanare, Quindío, Guaviare and Amazonas, each reported one case.