In this report from the Electoral Observation Mission (MOE), cut to January 31, 2023, the political violence that occurred in the country in two periods of time is analyzed. Initially, the first three months of the electoral calendar for the 2023 local electionswhich started on October 29 with the registration processes for identity cards and significant groups of citizens.
It is pointed out how, in comparison with the previous local elections, with the beginning of the electoral calendar for the 2023 local elections, an upsurge in violence is already beginning to be seen, since between October 29, 2022 and January 29, 2023 A total of 128 acts of violence against political, social and community leaders were registered, with Santander, Cauca, Bogotá DC, Antioquia and Nariño being the most affected territories. This total represents an increase of 93.3% compared to 2019, in which 66 were registered.
Second, it analyzes violence as of January 1, 2023, the day the ceasefires began bilateral agreements with four illegal armed groups. In this first month of the year, there was a reduction in acts of violence against both social, political and community leaders, as well as in the number of armed actions by illegal armed groups. However, the non-compliance with the ceasefire in various regions of the country and the risk of violence that still persists in municipalities with a strong presence of illegal armed groups are emphasized. In particular, the departments of Antioquia, Arauca, Atlántico, Bolívar, Cauca, Magdalena, Nariño, Norte de Santander and Valle del Cauca continued to be sources of violence and demand urgent and comprehensive intervention by the institutions.
In January 2023, 35 acts of violence against political, social and community leaders were registered (24 threats, four attacks, six murders and one act of violence against women in politics), which represent a reduction of 16.7% compared to the 42 records. January 2019. The reduction in murders, which went from 16 to 6, is especially striking. Despite this, it is worrying that violence against political leaders continues, with the aggravating circumstance that the lethal acts against them increased by 66.7 % (when going from 3 to 5).
Added to this, within the framework of the ceasefire, a total of 54 intimidations and 52 armed actions by illegal armed groups (GAI) took place. Compared to December and with the aim of identifying the impact of the ceasefire, January meant a 32.9% reduction in the armed actions of the GAI, but an increase of 74.2% in intimidation. This fact may show that, although a period of ceasefire has an impact in terms of the number of records of armed actions between the State and non-State armed structures, it does not represent a weakening of the social control exercised by the latter.
EOM Recommendations
Finally, in the last chapter a series of recommendations in view of the local elections of 2023 and in view of the upsurge in violence that occurred in 2022. These recommendations are aimed at taking actions aimed at guaranteeing the security and protecting the life and integrity of the people who by democratic means seek to influence in decisions that affect their communities. Among them, emphasis is placed on continuing to carry out national, departmental and municipal monitoring commissions, urging the CNE to issue a resolution that complements the protocol for the prevention and attention to political violence against women, and advancing in the principle of focus differential.
A series of recommendations are also made with an electoral approach, emphasizing strengthening the articulation between the National Government and the departmental and municipal governments to prevent political violence, prevent the entry of illegal resources to electoral campaigns, establish a differentiation of groups illegal armed groups clarifying the definition of “organized armed structures of high-impact crime”, prioritizing the definition of protocols and mechanisms to verify the ceasefire and preventing any involvement of illegal armed groups with electoral politics.