Understanding the killing of social leaders in Colombia during Covid-19

The 2016 Peace Agreement between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia marked a fundamental milestone in terms of protections for the life and conditions of rural people. The numbers of homicides and deaths associated with the armed conflict decreased significantly during negotiations and immediately after the signing of the agreement. More recently, however, implementation issues and the presence of other armed actors have brought new threats for social leaders and vulnerable groups, often because of disputes over territory and resources. These threats have only become more acute during the COVID-19 crisis, write Carolina Castro (Universidad de los Andes), María del Pilar López Uribe (Universidad de los Andes), Fernando Posada (UCL Americas), Bhavani Castro (ACLED) and Roudabeh Kishi (ACLED).