IACHR Concerned About Killings of Social Leaders in Colombia

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) Friday stated its concern about the killing of social leaders, human rights defenders, and former fighters in Colombia.

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It asked the Colombian state to clarify the deaths of social leaders and establish measures to safeguard the lives and safety of citizens.

According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in the first half of 2020, at least 45 human rights defenders have been killed and 36 cases are in the process of verification.

The Colombian State recorded the murder of 37 social leaders in the first half of this year.

The Revolutionary Alternative Force of the Common (FARC) political party has denounced the murder of 219 signers of the 2016 Peace Agreement and 19 so far this month.

The Institute of Studies for Development and Peace (INDEPAZ) reveals that 573 social leaders and human rights defenders have been assassinated from August 2018 to July 2020.

In March, the IACHR expressed its concern at the alarming number of murders of human rights defenders, which would have been registered during the first quarter of the year.

In Colombia, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerability of human rights defenders who are attacked by armed groups.

Taking advantage of the epidemiological emergency, these illegal groups try to reinforce themselves in various territories, intimidating the population and its social leaders. 

So far, Colombia records 218,428 cases of COVID-19 cases and 7,373 deaths. The Duque administration has refused to take tougher measures to contain the spread of the pandemic.