Colombia remains a dangerous country in which to be a human rights defender. Please donate to support LRWC’s participation in the IX International Caravana of Jurists to Colombia in August 2026.

Your donation supports an initiative that helps save the lives of lawyers who defend the rights of others and improve prospects for remedies for victims of human rights violations.

To quote a prominent Colombian human rights lawyer:

It is very important that the international community maintains its interest in Colombia. International monitoring of the situation of human rights defenders in Colombia is crucial. Without this international support, many of us might no longer be alive.

Numerous sources document the dangers that Colombian lawyers and human rights defenders face for defending the victims of grave human rights abuses.

As with the previous eight Caravanas, the IX Caravana takes place at the request of Colombian human rights lawyers who report that biennial monitoring visits help to raise their profile and provide a measure of protection to the legal profession and human rights defenders. They call on the international community to continue monitoring and amplifying the situation of human rights defenders, civil society groups, Indigenous communities, and the lawyers who defend them. 

The Caravana project began in 2008 around the theme of “Defending the Defenders”. It is a concrete expression of support for those whose advocacy for human rights, labour rights, Indigenous and other rights, puts them at risk. The theme of this year’s Caravana is: A Decade On: Ten Years of Transition and the Continuing Struggle for Justice in Colombia.

Perennially unstable ten years following the 2016 peace accord - and despite current President Gustavo Petro’s “total peace” strategy - in 2025, Colombia saw one of the worst humanitarian tolls in a decade.

According to a leading Colombian human rights organization, Indepaz, 187 social leaders were assassinated last year, bringing the figure since the 2016 peace accord to a total of 1,922. In addition, 2025 saw 78 massacres and over 107,000 people displaced from their homes. For financial reasons, the UNCHR’s presence in Colombia was drastically reduced. Further, the latest Human Rights Watch report highlights serious and evolving human rights problems, with violence shifting as illegal armed groups expand their territorial control through killings, displacement and child recruitment. 

Lawyers under attack and at risk 

An EU report from December 2025 sets out examples of incidents involving lawyers, including the killing of a lawyer in a public street of a town south of Bogotá; the suspect was later released, sparking criticism of the justice system. In July 2025, a lawyer was killed in his office; and in September 2025, in rural Boyacá, a trial attorney was found dead in his residence, showing signs of violence. Judicial workers, including judges continue to face risks and attacks as well. 

If you’ve been following the news of late, you’ll know that the IX Caravana launches at a time of grave uncertainty. 

Please support LRWC’s participation in the IX Colombia Caravana. You will receive a charitable tax receipt for your donation.