Revista de la Mañana. La sistematicidad del silencio: Retos y amenazas para los líderes sociales en el posconflicto colombiano

Abstract

In this interview, analyst León Valencia examines the systemic causes behind the assassination of social leaders in Colombia, identifying four key factors: land restitution, opposition to drug trafficking, participation in alternative politics, and the defense of peace agreements. Valencia criticizes the State's response for focusing solely on capturing hitmen (the final link in the chain) instead of investigating the intellectual authors, suggesting the existence of a subcontracted criminal structure backed by the indifference of certain power sectors interested in halting social transformations. Furthermore, the discussion explores the landscape of uncertainty with the arrival of Iván Duque's government, expressing concern about a potential return to practices that delegitimize social activism. Valencia emphasizes the importance of oversight by the international community and civil organizations to contain violence in territories abandoned by the FARC. Finally, he stresses that post-conflict security depends not only on the military but on a comprehensive State presence that guarantees justice and basic services in the most vulnerable rural areas