A proposed budget cut to the Colombian Ombudsperson’s office would impair its ability to protect the Colombian citizens’ human rights at a critical moment, Human Rights Watch warned on Monday.
Amid exacerbating conflict and political violence, the organization claimed the cuts would hinder office capabilities on top of other funding issues. In addition to creating a $36.3 million government deficit, Colombian President Gustavos Petro’s proposal for the 2026 annual budget would only supply 9.7 percent of the money the office reportedly needs to operate efficiently. The spending reduction would prevent the office from increasing its conflict and election monitoring capacities, hamper efforts to reduce killings of Human Rights defenders, and delay the establishment of an early warning system to monitor and alert to armed conflict and civilian abuse.
The Ombudsperson’s office has documented 1,500 killings of Human Rights defenders in Colombia since 2016, marking one of the highest national rates in the world. Conflict has continued between armed groups like the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) and successor groups, leading to sharply increased displacement among affected people. Funding cuts and shutdowns of projects like InspiraPaz, especially in the wake of the United States’ sweeping USAID cuts, have diminished monitoring and prevention efforts.
The nation’s upcoming 2026 elections exacerbate political violence concerns. Last month, Congressman and prospective candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay was shot and killed. In the 2023 local elections, 176 acts of violence against candidates, including 6 killings, were recorded.
The Ombudsperson’s Office of Colombia (Defensoría del Pueblo) was established in 1992 as an independent body in charge of promoting and protecting human rights. The Ombudsperson, currently Iris Marín, is appointed by the president and elected by the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia. Ombudsmen or Ombudswomen are public officials who are tasked with investigating and resolving complaints, usually relating to breaches of people’s rights, through recommendations and mediation.
