Colombia’s Human Rights Defenders Face Risings Attacks as Killings Continue
Author: Felipe Chitic-Luis
October 8, 2026
HRRC condemns continued attacks against human rights defenders, Indigenous and Afro-descendant leaders, and community journalists in Colombia, and urges authorities to ensure that new protection measures translate into effective protection on the ground.
![Protest in Colombia [Image credit: Alejandro Cortés/Flickr]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f05ed1_31dfef47fc6d4f7f863f581d6d8a97cf~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_960,h_638,al_c,q_85,enc_avif,quality_auto/f05ed1_31dfef47fc6d4f7f863f581d6d8a97cf~mv2.jpg)
Colombia recorded 401 attacks on human rights defenders in the first half of 2026, up 17% from the same period in 2025, according to Somos Defensores Program. While killings fell from 78 to 59, threats increased from 175 to 242. Twelve victims were Indigenous leaders, while 39 were community, or peasant leaders.
The violence has continued. On October 2, Keiner Bangera Mancilla, an afro-descendant leader from the Río Tapaje Community Council in El Charco, Nariño, was killed during a military operation. Idenpeza identified him as the 199th social leader or human rights defender killed in the country in 2026. Local organizations alleged that Marines shot Banguera while he traveled by boat, while the government characterized Banguera as a member of the Iván Mordisco dissident group, Iván Mordisco dissident group, alleging that he was a “narcoterrorists” carrying money and ammunition and that security forces responded after receiving gunfire from the vessel. The Defensoría del Pueblo called for a full investigation.
Additionally, on October 2, community journalist and rights defender Julián Hincapié was found dead in rural Anorí, Antioquia, more than three weeks after he was reported missing on September 12. The Defensoría del Pueblo called for a full investigation to determine whether his killing was connected to his work with the Asociación Campesina del Norte de Antioquia (ASCNA), where he worked as a community journalist and recognized as a social leader.
These killings come as Colombia implements a new protection framework. Decree 1028, adopted in 2026, established Public Policy for Integral Guarantees for Social Leadership and Human Rights Defense. The Ministry of the Interior says the policy strengthens prevention, protection, justice, and guarantees of non-recurrance.
However, the challenge is about implementation. Continued attacks and killings raise questions about whether Colombia’s new framework and its execution can provide meaningful protection to those defending human rights and their communities.
Glossary
Community Council: Primarily refers to a legal ethnic-territorial governing body for Black, Afro-Colombian, Raizal, and Palenque communities.
Defensoría del Pueblo: National public agency responsible for protecting, promoting, and defending human rights and civil liberties in Colombia.
Guarantees of Non-Recurrence: Forward-looking measures and systemic reforms implemented by states to prevent the future recurrence of gross human rights violations or serious breaches of international humanitarian law.
Human Rights Defenders: People who, individually or with others, act to promote or protect human rights in a peaceful manner.
Indigenous Leaders: Indigenous Leaders: an individual who guides, represents, or advocates for an Indigenous community—such as First Nations, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, or other global native groups.
Marine:: The part of a country's military forces that includes soldiers who serve on a ship or are closely associated with a naval for
Military Operations: Combat in armed conflict, law enforcement activities, and peace support operations.
Peasant Leaders: Peasant Leaders: an individual who organizes, represents, and defends small-scale farmers, agricultural workers, landless laborers, and rural communities.
Protection Measures: Institutional, legal, or physical mechanisms issued by state authorities to safeguard individuals, groups, or communities facing imminent or extraordinary risks to their life, integrity, safety, or fundamental rights.
Social Leader: Individual who guides, organizes, and mobilizes communities or advocacy movements to defend fundamental freedoms, address systemic inequalities, and protect social, economic, and cultural rights.
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