The closure of the border with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela led to an increased risk of sexual violence and trafficking, as Venezuelan refugees and migrants, as well as Colombian returnees, resorted to the use of informal border crossings controlled by illegal and criminal armed groups. Members of the military were implicated in cases of sexual violence against three indigenous girls. Dissident groups of FARC-EP were implicated in six of these cases, and one case was attributed to Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN). The United Nations documented 32 cases of sexual violence. Three attacks were targeted at transgender women and seven at homosexual men. Of these, 19 concerned former members of FARC-EP undergoing the process of reintegration, and 19 affected Afro-Colombians. The Office of the Ombudsperson reported 189 cases of sexual violence, primarily affecting women. Sixteen cases concerned persons living with disabilities. Moreover, 67 victims were Afro-Colombians and 15 were individuals from indigenous communities. Eight victims identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or intersex. Of these, 197 were committed against women, 15 against girls, 13 against men and 6 against boys.
In 2020, the National Victims’ Unit recorded 239 cases of conflict-related sexual violence. For instance, the Office of the Attorney General continued to receive cases virtually. As part of efforts by the Government to ensure continued access to services, some institutions offered virtual support, temporarily suspending in-person services. The pandemic increased vulnerability in areas affected by conflict, making it difficult for survivors and women’s organizations to gain access to protection mechanisms and referral pathways. Despite the important progress achieved since the signing of the Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace between the Government of Colombia and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP), the implementation of key provisions, including those related to gender equality, remains uneven, constituting a challenge to the consolidation of inclusive and sustainable peace.
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