At the start of the mandate of Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella, the Institute of Studies for Development and Peace (Indepaz) has recorded 45 social leaders and human rights defenders who were murdered, as well as eight signatories of the peace agreement and 26 massacres.
"The first 100 days of the government of Abelardo de la Espriella leave a worrying picture in terms of human rights and armed conflict. The killings of social leaders and peace signatories, the massacres, forced displacement, and the impacts on communities show that the violence continues to have serious consequences for the civilian population, especially in territories historically affected by the conflict," Indepaz has highlighted in its report "100 days: the human cost of violence."
The document, prepared by the Human Rights and Conflict Dynamics Observatory of Indepaz, analyzes events that occurred between August 7 and November 15, 2026, and details that violence against social leaders was concentrated above all in Cauca and Antioquia, with eleven and eight cases respectively, followed by Putumayo, with four murders.
The report also specifies that, in that same period, 26 massacres were recorded with 87 fatalities, including five minors, and 6,667 people displaced by violence only in the months of August and September.
The NGO emphasizes that these events cannot be automatically linked to the decisions of the new Executive, since they also follow previous conflict dynamics and local realities, but it insists that the State remains responsible for guaranteeing the protection of the population and respect for human rights.
In addition, Indepaz underscores that "dialogue and the search for a negotiated way out of the armed conflict are the best path to end the violence and prevent more human lives from being lost." "The military response, by itself, will not resolve the deep causes of violence nor guarantee lasting peace," it has reiterated.