UN Mission Presses for Safe Campaign as Colombia Nears May 31 Presidential Vote

Overview

• UN verification chief Miroslav Jenča urged a peaceful environment for voters and candidates ahead of the May 31 presidential election and said the mission will keep analyzing risks and coordinating preventive steps.
• The mission has been fully restructured under Security Council resolution 2798 (2025) to focus on reintegrating former FARC-EP combatants, protecting communities, and advancing rural reform.
• Colombia’s congressional elections on March 8 were largely calm, yet officials reported threats against presidential candidates and called on state authorities to safeguard all participants.
• Violence tied to territorial control and illicit economies persists in rural hotspots such as Catatumbo, which complicates reintegration, though local gains include a new university project and 724 hectares allocated to 54 rural women.
• Pakistan’s ambassador voiced support for Colombia’s peace efforts at the Security Council and backed calm before the vote, reflecting wider international endorsement of full implementation of the 2016 peace deal.