- Human Rights Defenders
Hernando Chindoy, indigenous leader and human rights defender: “What shaped my path was the violence we suffered as a people”. Hernando Chindoy, an Indigenous leader from the Inga people, explains how his lifelong commitment to human rights and environmental defence was shaped by the violence, discrimination, and cultural repression experienced by his community. As a child, he faced forced assimilation in school, where Indigenous language and identity were stigmatised, contributing to a broader erosion of cultural roots. Chindoy also describes how extractivism and Colombia’s armed conflict deepened the marginalisation and insecurity of Indigenous peoples, often exposing them to violence from multiple armed actors. Despite these challenges, he has become an internationally recognised advocate.
- Conflict, Victims and Peace Talks
National Day of Remembrance and Solidarity for the Victims of the Armed Conflict: the agenda of activities and launches. Colombia marks the National Day of Memory and Solidarity with the Victims of the Armed on 9 April with a wide-ranging programme of cultural, educational and commemorative activities. Events include film screenings about the conflict at the Museo Alfonso López Pumarejo in Tolima, discussion spaces at the Casa Museo Antonio Nariño in Villa de Leyva, and thematic memory tours and exhibitions in Bogotá at venues such as Fragmentos and the Museo Nacional, alongside children’s exhibitions at the Museo de la Independencia. The agenda also features the presentation of audiovisual projects created by children in Caquetá and screenings of films like Los colores de la montaña, as well as the launch of a children’s book collection, Cuando los pájaros no cantaban, based on real testimonies of victims.
Fresh Revelations in the Scandal Linking the Government to ‘Papa Pitufo’ in Colombia. New revelations in an ongoing scandal linking members of the Colombian government to alleged smuggler Diego Marín, known as “Papá Pitufo”, with recently leaked recordings suggesting contacts between government-linked figures and individuals connected to his network. According to the report, the audios (first disclosed by local media) indicate discussions that could point to attempts to negotiate legal benefits or favourable treatment for Marín, potentially in exchange for cooperation, adding to longstanding controversy over his alleged links to President Petro’s 2022 campaign.
‘Invisible narco’ who enabled Tren de Aragua’s entry into Bogotá captured in police operation. Colombian authorities have captured an alleged crime boss known as “Mison”, described as an “invisible narco” who played a key role in facilitating the arrival and expansion of the Venezuelan criminal organisation Tren de Aragua in Bogotá. Identified as Luis Rolando Osorio Arévalo and also known as “El Viejo”, he was detained in Ecuador and handed over to Colombia at the Rumichaca border following an Interpol notice, in a joint operation between the two countries. Authorities accuse him of leading the group Los Maracuchos and acting as a crucial intermediary who enabled the gang to establish operations in the Colombian capital.
Massacre in Cauca in a rural area between Popayán and Cajibío: one wounded man reportedly escaped, and armed men are preventing an ambulance from passing. At least six people were killed in a massacre in a rural area between Popayán and Cajibío. After armed men attacked a group of civilians inside a home. According to authorities, several others were injured, but efforts to assist the victims were severely hindered when the attackers blocked an ambulance from reaching the scene.
Government suspends meeting with criminal gang leaders after concert at Itagüí prison. The Colombian government has suspended its dialogue with representatives of criminal groups in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley following a scandal over a concert by vallenato singer Nelson Velásquez inside Itagüí prison. Authorities confirmed that the performance, allegedly part of an inmate-organised celebration involving music, staging and other irregularities, was not authorised by the government or prison authorities. In response, the government’s negotiating delegation halted talks with the groups’ spokespeople until responsibility for the incident is clarified, emphasising that such events fall outside the agreed conditions of the “urban peace” process.
The acknowledgment of military personnel for “false positives” in Quindío included a biblical message from the mother of a victim. A hearing before Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) in which 68 former soldiers acknowledged their roles in a series of “false positive” extrajudicial killings carried out in Quindío between 2006 and 2008, involving at least 19 cases where civilians were murdered and falsely presented as combat kills. During the proceedings, several ex-military personnel gave detailed confessions about how victims were executed and evidence manipulated to simulate combat, as part of a broader pattern of abuses. A particularly striking moment came when the mother of one victim, Luz Melva Bedoya Londoño, responded to the soldiers’ apologies by handing them cards bearing a biblical message, urging them to reflect on the words “in their minds and hearts” and to live by them, before embracing each of them.
This sparked an internal war within the FARC dissidents: leaders of the 18th front are reportedly killing each other for territorial control in Antioquia. A violent internal conflict has erupted within the dissident factions of the former FARC in Antioquia, particularly within the Front 18, where rival commanders are allegedly ordering the killing of one another in a struggle for territorial control. According to security sources, the fragmentation of the group has intensified following military pressure and leadership changes, leading to deep mistrust, shifting alliances, and the killing of at least one prominent leader by a rival faction. The infighting has also triggered the movement of fighters into other illegal armed groups and further destabilised the region, which is strategically important for illicit economies such as drug trafficking and illegal mining.
“I ask the ELN to return my brother to me”: Labor Minister Antonio Sanguino. The brother of Colombian Labour Minister Antonio Sanguino, who was disappeared in 1986 by the guerrilla group ELN, he now demands the truth surrounding his brother’s disappearance from the group. It explains that his brother, Juan Antonio Sanguino, was last seen after meeting an ELN contact in Bogotá and was later taken to a guerrilla camp, where he was allegedly subjected to a so-called “revolutionary trial” and executed under suspicion of being an infiltrator, with his body never returned. In the letter, addressed to senior ELN commanders, Sanguino calls for full clarification of what happened, the return of his brother’s remains through official mechanisms, and a formal apology, while reflecting on the personal impact of the disappearance, which he says influenced his eventual break with armed struggle.
- Business, Human Rights, Environment and Indigenous peoples
Rappi Hit with Multi-Million Fine Over Systemic Failures and Consumer Rights Violations. The Colombian authorities, led by the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (SIC), imposed a multi-million-dollar fine on Rappi for what were described as “systemic failures” in its service and repeated violations of consumer rights. The investigation found widespread issues including double charging, failures to complete deliveries, misleading or insufficient information about orders and delivery times, and inadequate safeguards around the sale of restricted products such as alcohol. Regulators argued that these were not isolated incidents but reflected structural problems in the company’s business practices, undermining consumer trust and breaching Colombia’s consumer protection laws.
Workplace Deaths in Colombia: One Every 20 Hours in 2025. Workplace fatalities in Colombia remained alarmingly high in 2025, with an average of one worker dying roughly every 20 hours. The rise in fatal accidents, particularly in high-risk sectors such as construction, mining, and agriculture, has reignited concerns among unions and experts about weak enforcement of labour regulations, inadequate safety protocols, and insufficient employer accountability. Despite existing legal frameworks intended to protect workers, the data suggests systemic failures in prevention and oversight, with many incidents deemed avoidable.
In Bogota, More than 50 Species of Mammals Live that are Threatened by Development. Bogotá is home to more than 50 species of mammals, an unexpectedly high level of biodiversity for a major urban area, representing around 10.4% of all mammal species found in Colombia. It explains that these animals, ranging from bats and rodents to larger species such as foxes and opossums, play vital ecological roles, including seed dispersal and pest control, but are increasingly threatened by urban expansion, habitat fragmentation, and pollution. Experts warn that rapid development and land-use change are putting pressure on these populations, many of which are already vulnerable.
This is how the business works in Chocó with illegal timber from the Clan del Golfo that is allegedly reaching Europe. Illegal logging has become a major source of income for the Clan del Golfo in Colombia’s Chocó department, particularly in the Bajo Atrato region, where vast quantities of timber are extracted from rainforest areas under the group’s control. Wood is transported via rivers such as the Atrato, then enters supply chains where it is “laundered” and sold as legal timber, allowing it to reach international markets, including Europe. According to the report, this illicit economy is closely tied to armed control of territory, environmental destruction, and pressure on local communities, with the group reportedly dominating much of the illegal timber trade in the region.
- Women and Gender Based Violence
Killing women: violence as a strategy of armed control. In parts of Colombia’s armed conflict, violence against women, particularly killings, is used deliberately as a tool of territorial and social control by armed groups rather than as isolated acts of gender-based violence. It explains that this “instrumental violence” serves multiple strategic purposes: sending messages to communities, punishing perceived disobedience, enforcing social norms, and consolidating authority through fear, often accompanied by public or symbolic acts designed to maximise intimidation. Women’s bodies become a means of communicating power, with victims frequently targeted for their roles in families or communities, making the violence both gendered and political.
Woman kidnapped in Nariño manages to escape and survive 72 hours in the jungle. A woman who had been kidnapped in Colombia’s Nariño department managed to escape from her captors, identified by authorities as members of a dissident FARC structure, and survived for 72 hours alone in dense jungle terrain before being rescued by the army. She had been held for around five days before seizing an opportunity to flee, after which she navigated difficult and dangerous conditions on foot, facing risks from wildlife and the possibility of being recaptured. Eventually, she encountered military troops conducting operations in the area.
More than 50 LGBTIQ+ people missing due to the armed conflict in Colombia: this is how they are being searched for. More than 50 LGBTQ+ people who disappeared during Colombia’s armed conflict are currently being actively searched for through a specialised initiative led by the Search Unit for Disappeared Persons (UBPD), known as “Búsqueda Igualitaria Activa.” This strategy recognises that many cases have remained invisible due to stigma, fear, and discrimination, which often led families to search in silence or not report disappearances at all. The initiative brings together forensic anthropologists, data analysts, and investigators with a specific focus on women and LGBTQ+ victims, and seeks to use community networks and spaces of socialisation to gather information and locate missing individuals. These disappearances were frequently driven by “prejudice-based violence”, where victims were targeted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, with the intention of sending a message of control and intimidation.
- Civil Society and Protests
Taxi drivers in Bogotá and farmers across the country are blocking several key roads in Colombia. Colombia experienced widespread road blockades on 9 April 2026 due to two simultaneous protests led by rural communities and taxi drivers, causing major disruption across key transport routes. Farmers, community organisations and local committees mobilised in at least 527 municipalities against sharp increases in rural land valuations introduced under a 2025 government resolution, which in some cases have led to property tax rises of up to 300%, disproportionately affecting low-income landowners; they are demanding a suspension and review of the policy. At the same time, taxi drivers in Bogotá blocked major roads, including access to El Dorado airport, protesting against fare changes, perceived advantages for private ride services, and disputes linked to sector leadership, with tensions persisting despite initial announcements that the strike would end.
- International and Domestic Politics
US and Ecuador fabricating drug trafficking charges against Colombia’s president: audio. A leaked audio recording that allegedly captures a conversation between Colombian and Ecuadorian individuals discussing a plan to build a drug trafficking case against President Petro, potentially involving US backing. According to the recording, the scheme would involve blocking the extradition of certain drug traffickers in exchange for testimony implicating Petro, with references to “the gringos” wanting suspects to “talk” against him. Colombian intelligence sources cited in the report consider the audio credible, though its full context and authenticity remain unverified.
President of Ecuador Recalled his Ambassador from Colombia for Consultations. Ecuador recalled its ambassador from Colombia for consultations following comments by President Petro about imprisoned former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas, whom Petro described as a “political prisoner” and suggested should be released or transferred to Colombia. Ecuador’s government, led by President Daniel Noboa, rejected these remarks as interference in its internal affairs and a violation of sovereignty, insisting Glas was lawfully convicted of corruption. In response, Ecuador issued a formal diplomatic protest, recalled its ambassador, and cancelled planned bilateral talks.
Clara Lopez Drops Colombia Presidential Bid to Join Ivan Cepeda Campaign. Colombian senator Clara López has withdrawn her presidential candidacy and decided to support Iván Cepeda ahead of the 2026 election, in a move aimed at unifying the left-wing vote. López framed her decision as a strategic effort to avoid fragmentation within progressive forces and strengthen Cepeda’s chances, as he consolidates backing from across the political spectrum. Although her name will still appear on the ballot, any votes cast for her will be invalid, and she is expected to formally join Cepeda’s campaign.
The Constitutional Court overturned the economic emergency decreed by the Petro government; it kept other fiscal measures suspended. Colombia’s Constitutional Court has struck down the economic emergency declared by President Petro, ruling it unconstitutional and delivering a major setback to the government’s efforts to address a significant budget deficit. The emergency had been declared in late 2025 after Congress rejected a proposed tax reform intended to raise around 16.3 trillion pesos, with the decree allowing the government to implement fiscal measures without legislative approval. However, in a decisive vote, the court invalidated the measure, effectively removing the administration’s main legal tool to raise funds and manage the fiscal gap.