Colombia, 5/23/2026

May 23, 2026

Dear President Petro and Attorney General Camargo:

We write to you to express our distress over the escalation of violence in Cauca Department. The Cauca Network for Life and Human Rights issued an early social and community alert urging the government, state institutions and international organizations to take action against the increasing violence in the department.  In the first half of April alone, 22 people were murdered in the region, and the situation is becoming increasingly dangerous to the local community.

On the evening of April 8, a group of homeless youths were shot by armed men on motorcycles in the streets of the Lomas de Granada neighborhood near Popayán, and two people died. The following day, six people – mostly young adults – were killed in an attack by heavily armed men. Later in the month, two other  people were found murdered in northern Cauca. The identities of the victims as well as the motives and identities of the killers remain unknown, causing deep sadness and fear in the community.

Civilian communities in Cauca have further been threatened by videos of firearms and pamphlets announcing possible plans for a “social cleansing” in the region. The crimes have not been attributed to any single armed group, making the situation even more unpredictable. While authorities convened an extraordinary security council meeting in Popayán and have instilled a few measures to increase security, the situation in Cauca remains extremely unsafe.

The fear and distress endured by civilian communities in Cauca in this current situation is inhumane and unacceptable. The murder victims must be identified so that their dignity can be upheld and their families can properly process their loss, and measures must be put in place to ensure the safety and human rights of the local civilian communities.

We therefore strongly urge you to:

(1) conduct thorough investigations into the homicides to hold accountable the perpetrators and identify their motives for the violent acts

(2) enact strict governmental measures to remove armed groups from the areas around Popayán and, in consultation with community organizations, implement safety precautions for local civilian communities

(3) make an earnest commitment to ending violence and persecution of civilian populations

Sincerely,

Brian J. Stefan Szittai               

Co-Coordinator

copies:         Daniel García-Peña Jaramillo, Ambassador of Colombia to the US ~ via email

José Luis Caballero Ochoa, Rapporteur for Colombia ,  Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) ~ via email

UN: Scott Campbell, Representative in Colombia of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights ~ via email

US Embassy: Jarahn Hillsman (Chargé d’Affaires); Adam Levy (human rights) ~ via email

US State Department: Desk Officer for Colombia ~ via email

US Senators from Ohio: Husted and Moreno and US Representatives from Ohio: Beatty, Brown, Jordan, Joyce, Kaptur, Latta, Miller, Rulli, Sykes  ~ via email

10 APR 2026_Red por la Vida y DDHH_Colombia