UN Urges Colombia To Secure Presidential Vote

Overview

• At a Security Council briefing, mission chief Miroslav Jenča urged authorities to protect all candidates and said the mission will assess threats and coordinate preventive steps for the 31 May presidential vote, building on the largely peaceful congressional elections in March.
• He said Colombia still needs full implementation of the 2016 peace accord to make gains durable and prevent backsliding.
• The mission has been fully restructured under resolution 2798 (2025) to prioritize reintegration, security guarantees and rural reform that create legal livelihoods and reduce reliance on illicit economies.
• Jenča warned that clashes for territorial control linked to illegal economies in rural hotspots, especially Catatumbo, are harming communities and complicating the return of former fighters to civilian life.
• Local leaders described tangible progress despite new violence, citing fresh social investment, a new university and 724 hectares granted to 54 rural women as steps that help families rebuild their lives.