4.3.4. Political activists and electoral candidates

4.3.4. Political activists and electoral candidates

Sources indicate an increase in the number of attacks against members of political parties, candidates, and former politicians during the reference period for this report.⁷⁰¹ ACLED indicated, in October 2025, that 331 events of civilian targeting of political figures took place between August 2022 and October 2025.702

Criminal and armed groups threatened, attacked, and killed government officials, politicians, and electoral candidates,703 particularly at the local level and related to local elections.704 Indepaz reported that, between 2016 and 2025, it recorded 74 killings of candidates for elected office (some of whom were also identified as social leaders), including those running for local and municipal councils or administrations, or for mayor, for example.705 According to confidential sources interviewed by the Dutch authorities, it was not always clear whether the murdered politicians were killed for their political activism—for example, for fighting against the (illegal) economic interests of certain parties. In some cases, politicians were murdered precisely because of their ties to illegal armed groups. In another example, a politician nominated by an illegal armed group as their candidate in the mayoral elections was threatened by that group after losing the election. Politicians with ties to illegal armed groups also had to fear competing illegal armed groups in the area.706

High profile examples of targeting of political activists in the period, included:

• In May 2025, political activist for the Colombia Humana movement, Alberto Peña, was assassinated in Cauca after calling for a march in support of the government.707

• Miguel Uribe Turbay, a Colombian senator and presidential hopeful, was shot at a campaign rally in Bogotá on 7 June 2025, was hospitalised in critical condition, and died of complications from his injuries on 11 August 2025.708 Segunda Marquetalia was reportedly responsible, but the group has denied responsibility.709