Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday stated that armed groups in Colombia’s southern state of Putumayo have committed gross human rights violations against innocent civilians, with the abuses disproportionately affecting Indigenous communities.

HRW Americas director Juanita Goebertus stated: “Armed groups in Putumayo are using the peace talks as an opportunity to tighten their control over the population… While the peace talks focus on decreasing coca crops, armed groups are imposing their own rules in Putumayo and severely punishing those who disobey.”

During HRW’s September visit to several regions that have been severely impacted by the activities of armed groups, such as Puerto Asís, Mocoa, Orito and La Hormiga, victims voiced their fear of being targeted in reprisals. Residents had also stated that they were forced to bury the bodies of homicide victims in an attempt to conceal the scale of the crimes committed. This regime of fear that has been induced has reportedly resulted in villagers being coerced into taking part in protests lto demanded the release of top officials of the armed groups, such as guerilla commander Geovany Andrés “Araña” Rojas. Indigenous authorities and humanitarian workers also said people were coerced into planting coca and supplying it to the armed groups.

Other alleged abuses include the recruitment of child soldiers from rural boarding schools and through social media. Armed groups have also imposed curfews and restrictions on the cultural practices of Indigenous communities.

The hostility in Putumayo, which borders Ecuador and Peru, is a longstanding issue that the Colombian government, led by President Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego, sought to address via peace talks in 2023. The initiative, which aimed to foster more transparent dialogues with armed groups that the government deems as having both a political and criminal agenda, was primarily focused on reducing rates of violence in exchange for judicial benefits.

Although progress has been made with recent peace talks between the Colombian government and armed group Estado Mayor of Blocs and Fronts (EMBF), culminating in an agreement on six major points. These points include de-escalating conflicts, prioritizing land and environmental access, as well as halting the recruitment of child soldiers. HRW, however, said that more still needs to be done.

According to a UN Security Council report released back in early 2024, horrific abuses against children were reported, such as attacks on schools and child kidnappings. The report also noted that Indigenous children and those of African descent in rural communities are frequent targets of sexual harassment, physical violence, and dying when caught in the crossfire. Additionally, mass displacement in Putumayo had increased by more than 1,000 percent from 2022 to 2023 as a result of the ongoing conflict, negatively impacting the livelihoods of civilians.