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Red Cross Says 2025 Was Colombia’s Worst Year for Civilians in a Decade

The findings intensify scrutiny of President Gustavo Petro’s “Total Peace” strategy.

Overview

  • The International Committee of the Red Cross, which released its annual report Tuesday, said civilian harm from Colombia’s conflict reached a 10‑year high and urged all armed actors to follow humanitarian law.
  • Fighting forced 235,619 people to flee their homes in 2025, double the prior year, with 42% of those displaced in the department of Norte de Santander.
  • Mass displacement events also doubled, pushing more than 87,000 people to leave in large groups as rival armed and criminal groups battled for control.
  • Explosives including landmines and drones killed or injured 965 people, a 33% rise from 2024, while armed groups confined 176,730 residents with curfews and movement bans.
  • The report lands as security dominates the May 31 elections, with Petro defending negotiations and right‑wing rivals promising a harder line on armed groups.