Election Observer delegation to Colombia with CRLN (Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America)
IRTF’s sister organization in Chicago (Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America) is organizing an election observer delegation to Colombia for the end of May 2026. Please consider applying for this delegation.
May 24–June 1, 2026, during the country’s general elections on May 31.
See the information and application here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSelym2HM5T7u2vCbeGmzC1rYFaexLWH9ERMUgGSaDV6WguTzw/viewform?pli=1
Who is running for president of Colombia? The left’s Iván Cepeda, the right’s Abelardo de la Espriella, and the center-right’s Paloma Valencia are battling to win the May 31 election. Read more here.
About the delegation
This delegation is a space for political education, solidarity, and international accompaniment. Participants will receive training and serve as international election observers while engaging directly with grassroots organizations, human rights defenders, and survivors of the war. Together, we will examine what the electoral process means for historically excluded communities and deepen our understanding of Colombia’s current political and human rights landscape.
For over two decades, CRLN has built faith-rooted partnerships with communities in Colombia, challenging U.S. policies that have fueled militarization, displacement, and human rights abuses—especially impacting Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities. This delegation continues that commitment by strengthening relationships, learning from lived experiences, and accompanying ongoing movements for justice, historic memory, and collective liberation.
Delegation Highlights:
International election observation training and participation
Engagement with and learning from grassroots movements and human rights defenders
Dialogue with survivors advancing truth, justice, and liberation
Who should apply?
Organizers, faith leaders, activists, students, and anyone committed to international solidarity and social justice.
Apply here: https://forms.gle/ZfwUByN4bvvCgUiJA
Click here for additional information.
Applicants will be notified on a rolling basis. If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Jhonathan Gómez at jgomez@crln.org.
Delegation Goals
1. Electoral Observation
Serve as an international observer during Colombia’s general elections (May 31)
Receive training and engage directly with local observation missions, civil society organizations, and electoral monitors
Examine what elections mean for historically excluded communities, as well as survivors of the armed conflict
2. Human Rights & Political Education
Learn about human rights conditions in Colombia through engagement with grassroots organizations, movements, and human rights defenders
Analyze the current political landscape and its relationship to electoral politics
Hear firsthand testimonies that ground political analysis in lived experience
3. Historic Memory & Solidarity
Engage with survivors of the armed conflict to understand processes of memory, truth, and collective repair
Learn from survivor-led efforts to advance justice and reconciliation in a post-war context3
Build relationships grounded in solidarity with communities working toward truth and collective healing
Who Should Apply?
- Organizers, activists, college students
- Religious leaders and community leaders
- People committed to international solidarity and social justice
- Individuals willing to engage respectfully with communities
Costs
Sliding scale of $1,600 - $1,400 / This price does not include flights to Colombia (The sliding supports CRLN’s financial assistance to delegation participants who request it)
✔ Includes housing, most meals, in country transportation, and delegation coordination
✈ Flights estimated: $600–$900, depending the date purchased
X THE COST DOES NOT INCLUDE FLIGHTS TO COLOMBIA. Flights must be purchased by participants.
Delegation Requirements, Participants are Required to:
- Attend 2 pre-delegation Zoom meetings
- Review and study background materials on Colombia’s social and political contex
- Advanced level of comprehension of the Spanish language is required
- Participants are expected to participate fully in all meetings, and activities of the delegation, including the work that will happen as an international election observer.
- Participants are expected to participate in collective post-delegation report-back and public education, and advocacy efforts.
How to Apply
Apply by filling out the online application. Applicants will be informed if they have been invited to attend the delegation by May 4, 2026. If you have questions or would like more information contact Jhonathan Gómez at jgomez@crln.org.
