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

On 18 September, the Colombian government suspended peace negotiations with the insurgent group known as the National Liberation Army (ELN) following a violent attack on a military base in the Arauca region, attributed to the group, which left two dead and over 20 wounded. The peace talks with the ELN had been in crisis since March due to the its refusal to stop using kidnapping and extortion methods and the government's decision to open a separate negotiation table with a now dissident faction of the ELN. The situation worsened in August when both parties failed to extend the year-long ceasefire. Nevertheless, the suspension of peace negotiations marks the most significant crisis since talks began in 2022 under President Petro, dealing a major blow to the country’s efforts to achieve total peace. Government representatives have expressed their willingness to resume talks, but only if the ELN demonstrates a clear commitment to peace and to negotiating an end to the armed conflict.

Sources: AP News, La Silla Vacia, Deutsche Welle, International IDEA (1), International IDEA (2)

On 20 September, the National Health Superintendence, a state agency overseeing healthcare services in Colombia, issued its first regulation to ensure comprehensive access to healthcare for the transgender population. The document instructs health providers on how to guarantee and improve healthcare access for the trans community while preventing discrimination. Key measures include training on human rights and gender sensitivity, respecting the identity names of transgender patients, and creating databases on this population’s access to healthcare services. The goal is to eliminate existing barriers that have historically hindered access to adequate healthcare for transgender individuals in Colombia. Furthermore, it establishes sanctions for those who repeatedly discriminate against transgender patients. LGBTQIA+ organizations have praised the regulation as a positive step toward ensuring equal access to healthcare and advancing human rights for their community.

Sources: Caribe Afirmativo, La Silla Vacia, Consultor Salud, El Espectador

The Colombian Congress has approved a comprehensive reform of the country´s pension system, a key goal of Gustavo Petro’s administration and one of its main campaign promises. The reform, approved without changes in Congress, introduces a new system to address the country's pension challenges. Critics of the current system described it as regressive and unfair, leaving millions of informal workers without a right to receive a pension. The new system aims to integrate the public pension system managed by the state-run pension administrator, Colpensiones, with private funds, eliminating competition and ensuring they complement each other. It requires all citizens to contribute to a public fund with an amount equivalent to the minimum wage salary worth 2.3 months, with additional earnings directed to private funds. This change will release public resources to assist elderly citizens without pensions. The new system will be in force starting July 2025, and aims to reduce inequality and improve pension coverage, though it has sparked debate about its future implementation and sustainability.

Sources: La Silla Vacia, El País, France 24 

On 20 June, the Colombian parliament approved the statutory law necessary to implement a new jurisdiction within the judiciary specialized in handling agrarian related conflict. Conflicts over land tenancy and ownership have been at the root of the violence that has affected the country over several decades and has impacted millions of victims. The Agrarian Jurisdiction, expected to be put into effect within six months, introduces specialized judges and magistrates to exclusively focus on bringing justice for rural communities. In the past, land issues were dealt with by civil judges with no special expertise on agrarian law. According to supporters, the reform will bring efficiency and celerity to the resolution of land disputes, which until now has disproportionally affected peasants, Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities in the country. Additionally, the establishment of an Agrarian Jurisdiction was a pending commitment to the Peace Agreements with the FARC, signed in 2016. Despite broad support, some experts criticize the decision not to create a specialized agrarian court, one of the changes that the original proposal underwent to gain support from the opposition. 

Sources:  El Tiempo, El País, Ministerio de Justicia Colombia 

Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe has been charged with witness tampering and bribery. Judge Sandra Heredia ruled that Uribe will face a criminal trial, rejecting his lawyers' request to annul the case. This decision marks a historic moment as Uribe becomes the first Colombian ex-president to stand trial for criminal charges in over half a century. Prosecutors allege that Uribe offered bribes to witnesses to discredit opposition Senator Iván Cepeda, who had linked him to paramilitary groups. The indictment follows numerous unsuccessful attempts over the years to investigate the former president, which faced substantial resistance from the judiciary. Uribe, who still holds significant political influence in the country, claims that the case is politically motivated and lacks evidence. He faces up to 12 years in prison if convicted.

Sources: El Pais (1), El Pais (2), Aljazeera, El tiempo

The Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) have signed the first item on the Peace Talks agenda after a year and a half of negotiations. The agreement was signed on 25 May in Caracas, Venezuela, and is focused on the definition of the “Participation Model” that will be a crucial part of the peace process. It reflects the demands gathered by the National Participation Committee (CNP), established in June 2023. The CNP facilitated 78 meetings nationwide, involving over 8,500 representatives from 3,200 organizations. Meetings also took place in 19 prisons and with the diaspora in 14 countries across the Americas and Europe. This announcement marks the first tangible outcome of President Gustavo Petro's negotiations with the insurgency, under his “total peace” program. It also signifies the conclusion of the first point of the Mexico Accord, the roadmap for these negotiations. The agreement proposes principles for active, inclusive, deliberative, binding, effective, and autonomous societal participation, particularly from historically excluded groups. 

Sources: Caracol Radio (1), Caracol Radio (2), Infobae, Prensa Latina, El Pais, International IDEA