On 14 February, Colombia approved its first National Care Policy aimed at enhancing the state's capacity to address the care needs of its population including through providing care to caregivers. The policy seeks to address economic inequality experienced by those who perform unpaid caregiving tasks (according to official data, 90 per cent of caregivers are women). Among its objectives, the plan aims to recognize and protect community care practices, particularly for marginalized groups, improve the quality of life for caregivers, and challenge cultural factors that perpetuate care inequality. The policy provides a framework for establishing a care system that redistributes the caregiving load across the state, civil society, and the private sector. It outlines 133 actions that the Colombian government must implement in the coming 10 years. These actions include expanding labour rights for domestic workers, providing training for caregivers, and supporting single mothers.

Sources: Ministerio de Igualdad y Equidad, El País, Razón Pública

Throughout January, a series of clashes in Catatumbo between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and a dissident faction of the dissolved Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have resulted in the deaths of over 50 people, including community leaders, civilians and demobilized FARC rebels, and to the displacement of over 50,000 people. The confrontation was fueled by territorial disputes over drug trafficking routes in an area that is key to cocaine production. The events have been described as one of the country’s most dramatic humanitarian crises in contemporary history. President Petro announced an “internal state of commotion” that grants him special powers to address the causes of the crisis and contain its effects. He also suspended peace negotiations with the ELN.
The events have underscored shortcomings in the implementation of the 2016 peace accords and in the country’s ability to protect peace signatories. They have also highlighted the fragility of the ongoing peace talks, now at their most precarious moment.

Sources: Bogota Post, North American Congress on Latin America, Insight Crime, New York Times, El Pais, Razon Publica

In a landmark ruling, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (CIDH) determined that Colombia failed to protect the U’wa indigenous people by allowing petroleum, mining, and tourism enterprises to operate on their land without prior consultation. This violated their fundamental rights, including the right to collective property, a healthy environment, and self-determination. The ruling, based on a case filed nearly 30 years ago, orders the state to take immediate action to restore the U’wa’s collective property, secure their land titles, and mitigate the environmental damage caused by activities like petroleum extraction. Additionally, the ruling requires the state to ensure the U’wa’s participation in any ongoing extractive projects, guaranteeing that these projects do not harm their cultural rights. Experts have described this decision as a historic victory for the U’wa against both the Colombian state and multinational corporations, setting an important precedent for indigenous rights cases across the country.

Sources: El Pais, Amazon Watch, El Espectador, Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos

On 13 November, the Senate approved a law banning marriage for people under the age of 18, following years of debate on legislation first proposed in 2007 and strongly advocated for by civil society. Previously, Colombia allowed children as young as 14 to marry with parental consent. The law also creates a National Program to prevent child marriages and support children in building life projects, while allowing married minors to seek annulment. According to expert data, about a fourth of Colombian women were married in childhood, with 4.5 million marrying before 18, including over a million before 15. Experts praised the law as a milestone for improving children’s rights, highlighting its importance for Indigenous and Afro-descendant girls who are disproportionately affected. Particularly, they underlined that child marriage contributes to higher school dropout rates, poverty and inequality, limiting professional and economic development. The law now awaits presidential approval to become official.

Sources: The Guardian, France 24, CNN, Razon Publica, El Pais, UNICEF