The Minister of Defense of Colombia, Pedro Sánchez, clarified this Tuesday that the supposed decrease in homicides of social leaders that he recently mentioned was not correct, and that in reality the favorable data refers to the murders of those who signed the peace agreement of 2016.
"I made an imprecision when referring to the homicide of social leaders. I stated that it had decreased. I was wrong about that data and I correct it publicly," admitted the Defense Minister in a message published on his social networks, after the mistake made during an interview granted to Caracol Radio.
"I stated that it had decreased. That is not correct. During this government period, the figure shows an increase compared to the previous period," Sánchez pointed out, explaining that the reduction he mentioned actually pertains to the crimes committed against those who adhered to the peace process signed in 2016.
In relation to this group, "homicides and disappearances decreased by 33%, from 343 to 229 cases," he highlighted, also emphasizing that "behind each figure there is a life, a family, and a community" and that, "beyond the statistics," the authorities have the obligation to "act" to prevent these crimes from happening again.
The minister took the opportunity to present a balance of operation 'Themis', through which the Government and the Public Force seek to identify and capture those responsible for the attacks against both social leaders and those who joined the peace agreement signed in Havana.
"Between March 14, 2024, and June 30, 2026, Themis has allowed for the execution of 300 arrest warrants, mainly against members of organized armed structures and criminal groups," he detailed, adding that 28 people included in the lists of "the most wanted" have already been detained.
"The security of those who defend their communities and of those who decided to lay down their arms must translate into results," Sánchez emphasized, assuring that the security forces will continue "pursuing those who murder, threaten, and terrorize" these people "until the last day."
This Friday, August 7, the elected president of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, will assume office and with it a new stage in terms of peace policies will open, as he himself has pointed out, a few months before the tenth anniversary of the agreement that led to the dissolution of the FARC.
Although what was agreed upon in the Cuban capital has not been fully implemented, De la Espriella's well-known opposition to the agreement has raised concern among its signatories, who fear new obstacles, cuts, modifications, and even the disappearance of the institutions created to ensure its compliance.