Colombia: News & Updates

After the Peace Accords were signed between the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) and the national government, some factions of the FARC (“dissidents”) broke off into other armed bands, rejecting the peace deal. They continue to manipulate vulnerable communities for armed political objectives, endangering civilians in ways that violate international humanitarian law.

In several rural zones of Cauca Department, the Residual Armed Organized Group (GAOr) Carlos Patiño (FARC dissidents) are deeply involved in drug trafficking, extortion, and environmental destruction, particularly in the Micay River basin. Last month, because of the presence of the National Army in Argelia municipality, a commander of the the GAOr threatened the local campesinos if they did not work with the GAOr to violently expel the soldiers. In a radio communication, he said: “…gather everyone around, and if anyone doesn't want to leave, shoot them and they'll be hidden from the military.” If the civilians did not join the GAOr in setting fire to Army armored vehicles, he further threatened to halt the purchase of coca leaves from the campesinos—whose livelihoods depend heavily on coca cultivation—if they did not violently confront the military presence in the region.

This manipulation of vulnerable communities for armed political objectives is unacceptable. We are urging that government authorities consult with local civilian leaders to create protection schemes to ensure that they are not subjected to collective punishment, manipulation, or coercion by any armed actors. We additionally urge that the government strengthen civilian institutions and implement lasting, community-centered alternatives to coca cultivation in the region.

It is still unclear why school teachers in Antioquia Department are being attacked.

Martin Emilio Acevedo Quiceño, an active member of the Association of Teachers of Antioquia (Adida),  was last seen alive on March 1 when he left his house in Caldas, Antioquia Department, to walk his dog. Early the next day, his half-naked body was found in a wooded area showing stab wounds to the chest and blunt force trauma to the head.

The murder of 55-year-old Martin Emilio Acevedo Quiceño follows a series of attacks against teachers in Antioquia this year, including the killing of teacher Daniel Esteban Raigoza on January 10 and Jorge Enrique Cano Jaramillo on February 7 (cf our letter March 24 2025).

Martin Emilio Acevedo Quiceño, ¡presente!

Jaime Alonso Gallego Gómez was one of the most threatened social leaders in northeastern Antioquia. As a founding member of the Segovia and Remedios Mining Roundtable, Jaime Gallego led the ancestral mining movement in his hometown for decades, working to defend his community against the multinational, profit-oriented large-scale mining companies.  After participating in a miners strike in November 2024 (to demand government guarantees for ancestral artisinal mining), a pamphlet was circulated threatening to silence him.

On March 3, Jaime Gallego, better known by his nickname Mongo, and his bodyguard were reported disappeared when the GPS tracker of their National Protection Unit (UNP) vehicle was deactivated as they were traveling to a meeting in Vegachí, Antioquia Department. Six days later, after gunshots were reported in the early morning of March 9, Jaime Gallego was found dead. 

Jaime Alonso Gallego Gómez, ¡presente!

The Association of Teachers of Antioquia (Adida) and the Colombian Federation of Education Workers (Fecode) are urging government authorities to create protection schemes for teachers in rural areas.

Hitmen shot 49-year-old school teacher Jorge Enrique Cano Jaramillo to death on February 7 while he was on his way to work at the Roberto López Rural Educational Institution in the Sofía neighborhood of Santo Domingo, located in northeastern Antioquia Department. The killing of Jorge Enrique Cano is not an isolated incident. His murder follows a series of attacks against teachers in Antioquia this year. On January 10, teacher Daniel Esteban Raigoza was murdered in the municipality of Turbo;  on January 15, teachers Geiver Nair Palacio and Carlos Sarmiento were victims of a hitman attack in Fredonia. These events have generated concern among educators and highlighted the risks faced by those working in areas affected by armed violence.

Indigenous rights defenders and other social leaders are at great risk in northern Cauca Department, where illegal armed groups battle for territory and control of land for illicit crops.

On March 1, armed men on a motorcycle in Toribío, Cauca, shot Édgar Tumiñá Gembuel nine times in the head. He was taken to a municipal health center but died due to the severity of his injuries.

Édgar Tumiñá, age 48, was a recognized leader of the Nasa people of northern Cauca. A member of the Indigenous Guard (Kiwe Thegnas), he taught children how to avoid being recruited into armed groups, how to provide first aid to injured persons, and how to shelter during gunfire. Illegal armed groups have a strong presence in Toribío, growing marijuana and coca (for cocaine production) on the reservation of the Nasa people. Since February, thousands of people have been displaced or forcibly confined because of conflicts between the armed groups.  Furthermore, they attempt to recruit the Indigenous children into their ranks.

The brother of Édgar Tumiñá Gembuel was assassinated in 2014. Édgar Tumiñá Gembuel himself had received threats and already survived other assassination attempts. According to the Association of Indigenous Councils of Northern Cauca (ACIN), he was being targeted by the Dagoberto Ramos Front (a dissident group that splintered from the FARC, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia).  

In Colombia, a human rights defender is assassinated every two days. In 2024, there were 173 social leaders killed.  In 2023, the death toll was 188.  In 2022, 187 were murdered. Now in the first quarter of 2025, 40 social leaders have been murdered.

Diego Alexander Herrera Carranza became number 40 on March 14, 2025 when armed attackers approached him at a public establishment in the Kennedy neighborhood of Barrancabermeja, Santander Department. They shot him repeatedly—killing him instantly—and fled.

Diego Herrera was a key leader of the human rights movement in the Magdalena Medio region. An active member of the Barrancabermeja Victims' Participation Roundtable, he defended communities victimized by the armed conflict, promoted initiatives for victim reparations, access to justice, and compliance with peace agreements.

René Alfonso Garavito is a valued community member of the Indigenous Makaguan tribe in Arauca Department. He juggles being a a father of three, a university student (studying public administration), and an active member of the Indigenous Guard on his people’s reservation (Reserve Cusay la Colorada).

Tragically, while he was commuting between two towns on September 20, three armed men apprehended him, held him at gunpoint, tied him up and took him away while his 11-year-old nephew watched. His relatives, who suspect he is being held by the National Liberation Army (ELN),  are experiencing much distress and anguish; his nephew now has routine nightmares after watching the kidnapping.

IRTF has joined an international call to prioritize a thorough investigation into the kidnapping of René Alfonso Garavito, publish the results, and bring those responsible to justice. With his family, we pray that he is released and returned unharmed.

Heber Rivera Méndez was a pivotal figure advocating for peasant farmer rights, human rights, and social justice in Valle del Cauca Department. He served as president of both the Communal Action Board of the Venus district of Tuluá municipality and the Association of Peasant Workers of Valle del Cauca (ASTRACAVA).

Tragically, in the early morning hours of September 24, armed individuals entered his home, shooting him multiple times and tragically ending his life. His death leaves behind a great void in the local community.

We are urging that the government work with community based organizations to dismantle illegal armed groups operating in the region that continue to impose norms and social control, targeting those who defend human rights.