Armed groups force displacement and threaten social leaders in Colombia

In the southern department of Córdoba, at least ten social leaders have been forced to leave their communities this year after receiving death threats, according to the human‑rights group Fundación Cordoberxia. The organization, which reports 14 cases of intimidation in 2026, says the threats are linked to the Ejército Gaitanista de Colombia (Clan del Golfo). The Ministry of the Interior escorted four leaders from the municipalities of Puerto Libertador and Montelíbano to safety, and Cordoberxia has filed complaints with the national prosecutor.

In the neighboring department of Antioquia, armed clashes in the municipality of Tarazá have displaced about 20 residents from rural veredas such as Doradas Altas and Tahamí. Mayor Yomer Fabián Ariza attributes the fighting to rival illegal groups, including the ELN, the Clan del Golfo and dissident factions, which are also reported to be experimenting with explosive‑laden drones. The displacement adds to a broader humanitarian emergency that has already forced more than 350 people to flee across the Bajo Cauca region. Local authorities and the Defensoría del Pueblo have warned of further risks to civilians, including the confinement of farming families.