Violence, impunity and criminalization against Indigenous Peoples in Colombia

This report is a product of IPRI’s ongoing work in Colombia. It identifies the features and patterns of violence, impunity, and criminalization that Indigenous Peoples have historically suffered in this country, focusing on the period 2021-2022.

This report does not purport to be an academic paper. Its purpose is to encourage collective reflection and highlight under-represented perspectives. The report gathers qualitative and quantitative data produced by the Colombian government, multilateral human rights organizations, research centers, Indigenous organizations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

The report also provides a brief outline of the national situation in Colombia to provide context for the facts and cases under analysis.

This report calls attention to the ways that the Colombian State continues to violate the fundamental human rights of Indigenous Peoples by action and omission. We reference verifiable cases that shed light on an unfortunate reality in Colombia: Indigenous leaders and communities suffer when they engage in social causes (including their own defense) while those who perpetrate violence against them are protected by impunity. It describes the phenomena of impunity and criminalization, critical topics that researchers and even those in the Indigenous movement have neglected despite their relationship to multiple forms of violence.