2.3.1. Political violence in the context of the 2026 elections
According to the Peace and Reconciliation Foundation (Fundación Paz y Reconciliación, Pares), a Colombian think tank that promotes human rights and produces research on country conditions with a focus on peace and security, between 8 March and 9 October 2025, 109 cases of political violence were recorded in the country, including 11 killings, 33 attacks, 61 cases of threats, and four cases of kidnapping.95 Pares reported that among those killed were politicians from Democratic Centre (Centro Democrático), MAIS Party, Historic Pact (Pacto Histórico), and Conservative Party.96 The departments with the highest number of cases of political violence within the same reference period were Cauca (12 cases), Antioquia (8), Valle del Cauca (8), and Norte de Santander (6).97 The most common profiles victims of political violence cases were councillors (52 cases), mayors (23), and public servants (18).98 Main perpetrators included FARC dissident groups (17 cases), Gulf Clan (2), and unknown actors (82).99 According to the Office of the Ombudsperson, main political violence targeted profiles for the upcoming elections in 2026 include pre-candidates, candidates, supporters, collaborators, members or leaders of political parties or movements, opposition movements and coalitions, social or grassroots movements participating in politics, ethnic minority organisations, election observers, human rights defenders and social leaders, victims of the armed conflict in political participation, signatories of the 2016 FARC-EP Peace Agreement, and journalists.100 The Office of the Ombudsperson also indicated that critical areas of political violence for the upcoming elections include the Catatumbo region (Norte de Santander), Pacific coastal areas of Nariño and Cauca, Antioquia, Caquetá, lower Putumayo, and Arauca.101
Members of the opposition have questioned President Petro for the lack of security guarantees for the opposition ahead of the 2026 elections.102 The following are among instances of political violence as reported by sources:
On 11 August 2025, Senator and presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay died after being shot during a political rally in Bogotá in June 2025.103 Uribe Turbay was a prominent member of the Democratic Centre party and was seeking the party's nomination for the 2026 presidential elections.104 Nine individuals have been arrested in connection with the attack.105 Authorities attributed the attack to FARC dissident group Segunda Marquetalia.106 El Tiempo reported that the FGN is exploring two hypotheses: that the killing was carried out as a show de force for the next elections, or that Uribe Turbay was killed by a faction of Segunda Marquetalia to take over the leadership of the illegal armed group.107 Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted within the time constraints of this report.
On 13 October 2025, a vehicle belonging to the regional coordinator of Homeland Defenders Movement (Movimiento Defensores de la Patria) in Arauca department was incinerated by unknown assailants.108
On 30 September 2025, the bullet-proof vehicle of former Democratic Centre councillor for Saravena, Arauca, Luis Naranjo, was attacked by six heavily armed assailants when he was leaving his house. During the attack, which is reportedly the fourth registered against Naranjo and is attributed to the ELN, two of Naranjo's bodyguards were grievously wounded.109
- 95
Pares, Tercer Informe de Violencia Político- Electoral, 23 October 2025, url, pp. 4, 6
- 96
Pares, Tercer Informe de Violencia Político- Electoral, 23 October 2025, url, pp. 3-4
- 97
Pares, Tercer Informe de Violencia Político- Electoral, 23 October 2025, url, p. 10
- 98
Pares, Tercer Informe de Violencia Político- Electoral, 23 October 2025, url, p. 14
- 99
Pares, Tercer Informe de Violencia Político- Electoral, 23 October 2025, url, p. 15
- 100
Colombia, Defensoría del Pueblo, Alerta Temprana 013-2025, 22 September 2025, url, p. 21
- 101
Colombia, Defensoría del Pueblo, Alerta Temprana 013-2025, 22 September 2025, url, p. 108
- 102
El Espectador, “Exigimos garantías al gobierno Petro”: oposición tras atentado a exconcejal en Arauca, 30 September 2025, url; Infobae, Oposición culpó a Gobierno Petro del ataque al carro de campaña de Abelardo de la Espriella: “No atiende los llamados”, 14 October 2025, url
- 103
BBC NEWS, Teenager who shot Colombian senator sentenced to seven years, 28 August 2025, url; UNVMC, Report of the Secretary-General, 26 September 2025, url, para. 4
- 104
BBC NEWS, Teenager who shot Colombian senator sentenced to seven years, 28 August 2025, url
- 105
El País, Una nueva captura refuerza la hipótesis de que la Segunda Marquetalia planeó el magnicidio de Miguel Uribe Turbay, 28 October 2025, url; La Silla Vacía, Fiscalía maneja dos hipótesis sobre magnicidio de Miguel Uribe Turbay, 3 November 2025, url
- 106
El País, Una nueva captura refuerza la hipótesis de que la Segunda Marquetalia planeó el magnicidio de Miguel Uribe Turbay, 28 October 2025, url; swissinfo.ch, Fiscalía colombiana acusa a dos presuntos autores del magnicidio del senador Uribe Turbay, 6 November 2025, url
- 107
In La Silla Vacía, Fiscalía maneja dos hipótesis sobre magnicidio de Miguel Uribe Turbay, 3 November 2025, url
- 108
swissinfo.ch, Incendian un vehículo decorado con la imagen de un precandidato presidencial colombiano, 14 October 2025, url; Infobae, Oposición culpó a Gobierno Petro del ataque al carro de campaña de Abelardo de la Espriella: “No atiende los llamados”, 14 October 2025, url
- 109
Infobae, Atentado contra exconcejal del Centro Democrático: dos de sus escoltas quedaron gravemente heridos, 30 September 2025, url; swissinfo.ch, Al menos dos escoltas heridos deja un atentado contra un exconcejal en el este de Colombia, 30 September 2025, url