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Colombia’s 2026 election season has been overshadowed by escalating violence, with at least 61 political leaders killed and a presidential candidate assassinated, raising fears about the safety of the democratic process.
According to Colombia’s Electoral Observation Mission, more than 61 political figures have lost their lives ahead of the March 8 legislative elections and the presidential vote scheduled for May 31.
Observers say candidates face security threats in about 130 municipalities, roughly a third of the country.
Indigenous congressional candidate Esneyder Gomez has continued campaigning under heavy protection despite repeated threats from armed groups.
His convoy travels through mountainous terrain controlled by dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), where rebels openly man checkpoints.
Gomez, a member of the Nasa Indigenous community, said the threats against him have persisted for years and noted that his vehicle was recently attacked after a political engagement.
“The risk is constant. Post-conflict is turning out harsher than the conflict itself,” he says.
He also pointed to the kidnapping of Indigenous legislator Aida Quilcue in the same region, describing the risks facing candidates as constant.
Reflecting on Colombia’s fragile post-conflict era, Gomez suggested that the period following the 2016 peace accord has in some ways proven more challenging than the years of open warfare.
“It has been systematic,” Gomez says. “They have brutalised the Nasa people. This must stop.”
Although the main FARC faction laid down arms under the agreement, dissident groups have maintained territorial control in several regions.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced the deployment of additional security forces to safeguard the elections.
However, critics argue that violence has worsened under President Gustavo Petro, accusing his administration of favouring negotiations with armed groups over direct confrontation.
United Nations data show that cocaine production has surged to record levels, with exports exceeding 1,700 tonnes, a development many analysts link to the growing power of illegal armed factions.
Among the most powerful dissident leaders is Nestor Gregorio Vera Fernandez, widely known as Ivan Mordisco, whom authorities accuse of crimes including the forced recruitment of Indigenous children.
Local Indigenous guards accompany Gomez during his campaign visits, relying largely on dialogue rather than weapons for protection. Community leaders say state presence remains limited, leaving residents largely dependent on their own structures for security.
As Colombians prepare to vote, the situation in regions like Cauca is seen as a critical test of whether the elections can be conducted freely and safely nationwide.
Community representatives say their territories have long been neglected and that much of what exists today has been built through local efforts rather than state intervention.
