For a Colombia free from war, just and dignified!
On April 25th, a criminal attack against civilians took place on the highway connecting the cities of Cali and Popayán in Colombia, leaving a horrific toll of 21 dead and at least 45 wounded. This attack occurred during the country's electoral period, less than 40 days before the presidential elections, and represents an assault on the Colombian people's aspirations for peace and a flagrant violation of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law. For many years, Colombia has suffered the scourge of violence and terror at the hands of armed groups that refuse to engage in dialogue, despite the current government's considerable efforts to build a stable and lasting peace.
The Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities of Cauca have systematically suffered armed violence, perpetrated especially in recent years by armed actors such as dissident groups and paramilitaries. This is why the attack of April 25th is understood as an affront to the democratic process and as systematic violence aimed at silencing the voices of social movements, Indigenous movements, and grassroots and Afro-Colombian organizations. These acts are not isolated incidents; they are attempts to fracture the social fabric in territories that have historically championed life and autonomy, despite suffering countless forms of structural violence at the hands of a political elite that despises their forms of organization and has even proposed segregating them by dividing the department in two.
From the Steering Committee of the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO), we condemn this ignominy against life and democracy. We call upon armed groups to respect life, democracy, and peace in the country. We also urge the Colombian government to provide comprehensive support to the Department of Cauca, which has been so severely affected by violence, and the international community to continue supporting and accompanying the implementation of the peace process.
For a Colombia free from war, just and dignified!
CLACSO Steering Committee
Sao Paulo, April 30, 2026
