La piedra en el zapato: violencia estructural contra los liderazgos sociales

Abstract

Summary: "A Thorn in the Side" The report "A Thorn in the Side" (Piedra en el Zapato), presented by Carlos Guevara, reveals that violence against human rights defenders in Colombia is a structural rather than a temporary issue, one that has intensified since the signing of the 2016 peace agreement. During Juan Manuel Santos' administration, more than 550 assassinations were recorded, proving that the state's robust protection apparatus—based on weaponry rather than political guarantees—has failed. The findings highlight an increase in attacks in areas formerly occupied by the FARC and a shift of violence toward urban areas, primarily affecting peasant, Indigenous, and Afro-descendant leaders defending their land and territory. The investigation also denounces a worrying 85% impunity rate, exacerbated by corruption within regional judicial systems and a lack of investigation into implicated public officials. Although the Attorney General's Office (Fiscalía) has begun to prioritize certain cases, most convictions are limited to those with obvious evidence, failing to dismantle the underlying criminal structures, which include paramilitary groups, drug trafficking gangs, and dissident factions. Given the upcoming electoral landscape, Guevara warns that the risk to leaders increases due to pressure from local political actors; therefore, he makes an urgent call to stop overlooking this phenomenon, which has become a "thorn in the side" for the Colombian state