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News > Colombia

Enforced Disappearances Continue in Colombia, UN Warns

  • Colombians living in Mexico show solidarity with the protests in their homeland, Mexico DF, Mexico, May. 8, 2021.

    Colombians living in Mexico show solidarity with the protests in their homeland, Mexico DF, Mexico, May. 8, 2021. | Photo: EFE

Published 11 May 2021
Opinion

So far, human rights defenders have reported 548 people missing following protests against President Duque that began on April 28.

The United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) on Tuesday reported that enforced disappearances continue to occur in Colombia while condemning "the poor results" in the search for missing people in the country.

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The Attorney General's Office recorded over 94,000 cases of missing people; however, CED warned over "the absence of clear and reliable data."

Besides noting that the Urgent Search Mechanism became an administrative procedure without an "effective result", CED regretted the delays in missing people's remains identification and return, including over 24,000 unidentified corpses buried in public cemeteries.

The human rights institution also denounced problems in the handling and protection of corpses of unidentified persons, a situation that led to their loss, mixing, or destruction.

Colombia had no comprehensive policy to prevent enforced disappearances, which also took place amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Experts also expressed concern about denunciations of detainees who have not been allowed to communicate with their families and lawyers. Many of the detentions occurred during protests that began on April 28.

Human rights defenders reported 548 missing people following the ongoing protests against neoliberal policies promoted by President Ivan Duque. At least 27 people died as a result of clashes with security forces.

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