Colombia Country Focus Report

Colombia continues to face pervasive and escalating violence that shows no sign of abating, with profound consequences for the enabling environment and the conditions necessary for democratic participation. Illegal armed groups linked to drug trafficking, illegal mining, and other illicit economies maintain and expand territorial control across extensive parts of the country, with ongoing armed disputes in strategically important regions. This violence affects communities directly, particularly social leaders, human rights defenders, journalists, environmental defenders, and signatories of the Peace Agreement. Its impact reinforces patterns of silencing, self‑censorship, and weakened collective action, especially in rural areas where institutional presence and state capacity remain limited.

These security dynamics are exacerbated by deep social fragility. More than a third of Colombians continue to live in poverty and exclusion, restricting their ability to access mechanisms for participation. Although both the 1991 Constitution and the 2016 Final Peace Agreement establish citizen participation as a foundational democratic principle, implementation has been uneven and insufficient. The killings of social leaders remain at critically high levels, with 2025 reflecting a continued upward trend compared with recent years. This underscores the State’s limited capacity to prevent attacks, provide protection, and conduct coordinated, territorially grounded investigations. Responses remain largely reactive, fragmented, and poorly coordinated, weakening guarantees for rights defence and press freedom throughout the country.

This situation is unfolding at a moment of deteriorating institutional legitimacy and in the lead‑up to the 2026 presidential elections. Corruption scandals, poor performance in security and transparency, and strained governance have eroded public confidence. As the electoral cycle advances, political polarisation intensifies, while institutions focus on administrative transition rather than addressing the structural factors undermining rights protection and democratic participation. Consequently, the enabling environment is subject to heightened pressures from political contestation, misinformation, and severe territorial security risks.

Against this backdrop, this report analyses the enabling environment for civil society through six core principles. Its purpose is to examine the tensions between formal guarantees and the lived realities of exercising rights, participating in public life, and mobilising collectively at a decisive juncture for Colombia’s democratic trajectory.