Published by WOLA on May 19, 2020.
WOLA’s latest monthly urgent update on the situation of human rights defenders and social leaders in Colombia.
The State of Human Rights in Colombia: Military Espionage, COVID-19, and Ongoing Abuses
Links to long-form information about peace, security, and human rights in Colombia
A New Scandal Underscores Colombia’s Stubborn Inability to Reform Military Intelligence
Published by the Washington Office on Latin America on May 7, 2020.
An overview of a year of human rights scandals in the Colombian Army’s intelligence apparatus.
Líderes sociales del Catatumbo: todas las armas les apuntan
Publicado por El Espectador el 7 de mayo de 2020.
A look at threats faced by social leaders in the Catatumbo region, with a thorough mapping of the security situation and illicit economies in each of 10 municipalities.
Monitor de Violencia Política en Colombia
Publicado por CERAC el 7 de mayo de 2020.
CERAC, a Bogotá-based think-tank with an extensive database of conflict information, finds an increase in deaths from politically motivated violence in April, compared to February and March.
GIFMM Colombia: Situational Report – March 2020
Published by the Inter-Agency Mixed Migration Flows Group in Colombia on May 7, 2020.
A monthly update about the situation of Venezuelan migrants in Colombia, from the Inter-Agency Mixed Migration Flows Group in Colombia. (Link at unhcr.org)
Los acuerdos son para cumplirlos
Publicado por el Centro de Pensamiento y Diálogo Político el 6 de mayo de 2020.
A book-length review of FARC compliance with its peace accord commitments, by the ex-guerrillas’ representatives to the joint verification commission CSIVI.
Coronavirus and the Colombian Countryside
Published by NACLA on May 5, 2020.
An update from a scholar who has been sheltering in place with a campesino family in Briceño, Antioquia, the town chosen for a pilot crop substitution project before the 2016 peace accord was signed.
Los armados ahora también juegan a autoridad sanitaria
Publicado por La Silla Vacía el 1 de mayo de 2020.
A survey of how illegal armed groups are imposing rules and enforcing quarantines during the COVID-19 crisis.
Las carpetas secretas
Publicado por Semana el 1 de mayo de 2020.
New revelations of illegal activity by Colombian Army intelligence. The magazine exposes some of the contents of 130 profiles that Army spies built on reporters, politicians, human rights defenders, and even fellow officers.
La “simulación contable” de la Implementación del Acuerdo de paz. Un análisis de los recursos para la Reforma Rural Integral (2017-2020)
Publicado por el Centro de Pensamiento y Diálogo Político en abril de 2020.
The think tank affiliated with the FARC political party looks at budgeting for implementation of the first and costliest chapter (“rural reform”) of the 2016 peace accord.
Tres municipios de Meta en alto riesgo por masiva presencia de grupos armados
Publicado por Verdad Abierta el 30 de abril de 2020.
A summary of findings, from the Ombudsman’s Office’s early warning system, about the dire situation in Puerto López, Puerto Gaitán, and Cabuyaro.
Cese al fuego del ELN: ¿Qué pasó y qué sigue?
An infographic explaining the unilateral ceasefire that the ELN declared during the month of April 2020, past ceasefires, and what might come next.
Glosas al Informe del Secretario General al Consejo de Seguridad de las Naciones Unidas sobre la ejecución del mandato de la Misión de Verificación en Colombia, presentado el 26 de marzo de 2020
Publicado por el Centro de Pensamiento y Diálogo Político el 30 de abril de 2020.
The think tank affiliated with the FARC party responds to findings published in the March 26, 2020 UN Secretary General report on peace implementation.
Alerta Temprana 018-2020
Publicado por la Defensoría del Pueblo el 30 de abril de 2020.
An early-warning alert from the human rights ombudsman detailing armed groups’ activities during the first several weeks of COVID-19 response, including violent enforcement of public health measures.
Acompañamiento psicosocial en el proceso jurídico de restitución de tierras: estrategias metodológicas
Publicado por la Comisión Colombiana de Juristas el 29 de abril de 2020.
Explains methods of psychosocial accompaniment for conflict victims seeking restitution of stolen landholdings.
Los municipios que enfrentan el virus y luchan contra la violencia
Publicado por el Instituto para las Transiciones Integrales el 28 de abril de 2020.
A look at how the COVID-19 crisis is affecting historically conflictive parts of Colombia that were prioritized for the peace accord’s Territorially Focused Development Programs (PDET).
¿Cómo avanza la Participación Ciudadana en la Implementación del Acuerdo de Paz en Colombia?
Publicado por Viva la Ciudadanía el 28 de abril de 2020.
A detailed look at how the participatory elements of peace accord implementation have been working.
Colombia en riesgo de impunidad: Puntos ciegos de la Justicia Transicional frente a crímenes internacionales de competencia de la CPI
Raises concerns about persistent impunity for human rights violations committed by state actors, and calls on the International Criminal Court to remain vigilant.
COVID-19: a Window of Opportunity for Negotiations With the Eln?
Published by Rodeemos el Diálogo on April 25, 2020.
An analysis by Gwen Burnyeat and Andrei Gómez-Suárez of recent events and prospects for renewed dialogues with the ELN.
Menores desvinculados 2002-2020
Publicado por el Ministerio de Defensa Nacional el 24 de abril de 2020.
Data tables breaking down 5,524 child combatants who left armed groups over an 18-year period. (Link at eltiempo.com)
La parábola de los campesinos reclamantes de tierra del Naya
Publicado por Verdad Abierta el 23 de abril de 2020.
The story of displacement and resistance of Afro-descendant, indigenous, and campesino communities along the Naya River, which forms the border between Valle del Cauca and Cauca departments.
¿Por Qué la Violencia se Ensañó Contra los Líderes Sociales en Cauca?
Publicado por Verdad Abierta el 23 de abril de 2020.
A look at the work of, and severe threats faced by, social leaders in Cauca, the department of Colombia where more leaders have been killed than anywhere else.
‘La resistencia del indio’ es caminar por el territorio minero
Publicado por La Liga Contra el Silencio el 22 de abril de 2020.
A portrayal of indigenous communities resisting mining projects in southern Córdoba department.
Monitor del cese el fuego unilateral del ELN
Publicado por CERAC el 22 de abril de 2020.
The Bogotá think tank, which maintains a database of conflict events, finds that the ELN did not violate its declared ceasefire during the first 22 days of April.
Museo Memorias del Periodismo en Colombia
Publicado por la Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa el 21 de abril de 2020.
A virtual museum exhibit about past struggles of the free press in Colombia. With initial features on Arauca, Caquetá, and Córdoba.