UN report finds killings of women rights activists in Colombia increased by 50% News
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UN report finds killings of women rights activists in Colombia increased by 50%

A UN report published Wednesday found that in 2019, killings of women activists in Colombia increased by 50 percent and a total of 108 human rights defenders were killed.

The UN documented specific killings of citizens who defended the rights of their communities. For instance, a woman named Magdelena was killed for defending land allocation and the rights of forcibly displaced women and for denouncing the presence of a criminal group. A human rights defender was killed in Riosucio, Chocó, because his advocacy for the community clashed with interests of criminal groups; the groups were trying to control drug trafficking, illegal mining and smuggling of migrants.

The citizens in municipalities most affected by violent groups and illicit economies continued to defend the rights of their communities and ethnic groups, including areas such as Antioquia, Arauca, Cauca and Caquetá. These killings amounted to 65 percent of all the killings, a trend documented by the UN since 2016.

The report included a list of recommendations, including calling on the Attorney General to investigate the killings and calling on the government to abide by the Peace Agreement.

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