Juliette de Rivero, the delegate in Colombia of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, made an urgent call to the State this Sunday to guarantee the protection of indigenous leaders in the conflictive department of Cauca (southwest), who are threatened by violence from armed groups.
«During the year 2023, the UN Human Rights recorded the murder of 25 human rights defenders in Cauca. This alarming situation represents the worst compared to other departments in the country, being the most critical that we have observed. Of those 25, 14 were indigenous leaders,” said De Rivero.
During her visit to the municipality of Santander de Quilichao, in Cauca, the representative urged both the State and the Government to take immediate measures to guarantee protection agreements for the Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca (CRIC) and for the Association of Indigenous Councils of the North Cauca (ACIN).
In addition, he requested that “the necessary supports” be provided for the collective protection of these organizations, which are in a serious situation of risk.
FARC dissidents operate in the department of Cauca, including its main faction, the Central General Staff (EMC); the guerrilla group National Liberation Army (ELN), and drug trafficking gangs that dispute control of the territory.
Recently, the UN Office for Human Rights in Colombia presented its annual report, again highlighting an increase in violence, as evidenced by the 98 massacres recorded in 2023, and the expansion of armed groups, despite progress in peace negotiations and a broader focus on human rights by government policies.
However, these measures have not been enough to contain the bleeding in some areas of the country, especially in places on the Pacific coast, where illegal armed groups, dissidents and Mexican cartels dispute the territories to dominate the transportation routes. export of drugs to North America and Europe.
While the entity values the efforts of the Petro government, it urges them to move forward in a solid and safe manner to protect more human lives.