Colombia: international call for a "ceasefire" for the elections

Representatives of the international community in Colombia on Thursday (February 17th) called on the multiple armed groups operating in the country for a

to guarantee the smooth running of the legislative and presidential elections this spring.

Read alsoColombia struggles to heal the wounds of 50 years of civil war with the Farc

"We call on all armed groups in Colombia to declare a ceasefire and cease hostilities

," said a statement issued by representatives of 23 countries and the UN in the country.

, according to this message signed in particular by the embassies of France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain - among others European countries - as well as Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.

Nearly 39 million of the 50 million Colombians are called to vote in the legislative elections of March 13 to renew the Parliament, dominated by the right.

On May 29, they will elect the successor to conservative President Iván Duque who cannot run again, with a possible second round on June 19.

The left-wing candidate Gustavo Petro is currently favored by the polls, while the country has historically always been led by the conservative right.

Read alsoColombia: Farc take up arms

The government claims to have put in place

for the smooth running of the electoral process.

The resurgence of violence by armed groups in various regions of the country in recent months, however, raises fears of interference in the electoral process.

Some 28% of Colombian municipalities could experience fraud due to pressure from armed groups, according to a specialized NGO.

or

electoral risk

due to “the incidence of illegal armed groups”, also warned the office of the Defender of the People (ombudsman).

Guerrillas, armed groups and drug traffickers have historically influenced elections, especially in remote areas where state presence remains weak.

Corruption by money involving political actors and vote buying is another recurrent phenomenon of local elections.

Despite the peace agreement signed in 2016 with the Marxist guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the violence of these armed groups has intensified in several regions of the country, due in particular to their involvement and rivalries in drug trafficking. .

Read alsoColombia: peace agreements with the weakened Farc

In 2021, some 74,000 people were forced to flee their homes due to violence, a figure up 181% from 2020, according to the UN.