Using data from Colombia’s Electoral Observation Mission (MOE), a platform which promotes the freedom to exercise civil and political rights, this graphic illustrates the spread of violence against political candidates and pre-candidates in Colombia during the electoral periods for the 2015 and 2019 local elections.

Since the 1940s, Colombia has been no stranger to political violence. Spikes in violence can often be traced back to the conflict with the guerrillas, most notably during the terror campaign conducted in the 1980s and 1990s against the Patriotic Union, the left-wing party associated with the rebels.

Several years after the signing of the 2016 peace agreement between the government and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, political violence persists.

The 2015 map depicts 34 instances of violence – not including threats – committed between October 27, 2014 and October 25, 2015 against candidates and pre-candidates running in the 2015 local elections. Of these 34 cases, there were 10 murders, 21 attacks, two disappearances and one kidnapping.

• = 1 case
• = 2 cases
• = 3 cases or more

2015 Acts of violence

Antioquia

X

Jose Alirio Prieto

• Municipality

  Bello
• Position

  Pre-candidate for town council
• Party

  Partido de la U
• Act

  Murder

Diana Patricia Alvarez

• Municipality

  Barbosa
• Position

  Candidate for town council
• Party

  Partido/Alianza Verde
• Act

  Attack

Alfonso Gonzalez Soto

• Municipality

  El Carmen de Viboral
• Position

  Candidate for town council
• Party

  ASI
• Act

  Murder

Andrés Guerra

• Municipality

  Medellín
• Position

  Candidate for governor
• Party

  Centro Democrático
• Act

  Attack

Ángel Mesa Castro

• Municipality

  El Bagre
• Position

  Mayoral candidate
• Party

  Convergencia/PIN/Opción Ciudadana
• Act

  Attack

Arauca

X

Edgar Guzman Robles

• Municipality

  Arauquita
• Position

  Gubernatorial candidate
• Party

  Convergencia/PIN/Opción Ciudadana
• Act

  Attack

Bolívar

X

Mayerlis Angarita

• Municipality

  San Juan Nepomuceno
• Position

  Mayoral candidate
• Party

  ASI
• Act

  Attack

Boyacá

X

Gilberto Bustos Castañeda

• Municipality

  Puerto Boyacá
• Position

  Candidate for town council
• Party

  Partido de la U
• Act

  Murder

Caquetá

X

Luis Antonio Peralta

• Municipality

  El Doncello
• Position

  Mayoral pre-candidate
• Party

  Sin Partido (precandidato)
• Act

  Murder

Sandra Milena Floriano

• Municipality

  El Doncello
• Position

  Mayoral candidate
• Party

  Cambio Radical
• Act

  Attack

Casanare

X

Arsenio Sandoval

• Municipality

  Yopal
• Position

  Mayoral candidate
• Party

  Centro Democrático
• Act

  Attack

Luis Ivan Roa Castro

• Municipality

  Aguazul
• Position

  Candidate for town council
• Party

  Polo Democrático
• Act

  Murder

Cauca

X

Eliberto Narváez Hoyos

• Municipality

  Patía
• Position

  Pre-candidate for municipal council
• Party

  Polo Democrático
• Act

  Murder

Manuel Garces Granja

• Municipality

  López
• Position

  Mayoral pre-candidate
• Party

  GSC
• Act

  Attack

Huila

X

Silvio Gomez Claro

• Municipality

  Pitalito
• Position

  Mayoral candidate
• Party

  Centro Democrático
• Act

  Attack

La Guajira

X

Juan Carlos Soto

• Municipality

  Barrancas
• Position

  Mayoral candidate
• Party

  Partido Liberal
• Act

  Attack

Magdalena

X

José Joaquín Vives

• Municipality

  Santa Marta
• Position

  Gubernatorial candidate
• Party

  Partido Liberal
• Act

  Attack

Alfonso Alfaro Tejeda

• Municipality

  Plato
• Position

  Mayoral candidate
• Party

  Cambio Radical
• Act

  Attack

Meta

X

Esperanza Vargas Quimbaya

• Municipality

  Villavicencio
• Position

  Mayoral candidate
• Party

  GSC
• Act

  Attack

Nariño

X

Helman Solarte

• Municipality

  El Tambo
• Position

  Candidate for municipal candidate
• Party

  Partido Conservador
• Act

  Murder

Giraldo Ojeda

• Municipality

  Albán
• Position

  Mayoral candidate
• Party

  Partido Conservador
• Act

  Murder

Sonia Zoraida Cifuentes

• Municipality

  Policarpa
• Position

  Mayoral candidate
• Party

  Cambio Radical
• Act

  Attack

Luis Carlos Lucero

• Municipality

  Linares
• Position

  Mayoral candidate
• Party

  Partido/Alianza Verde
• Act

  Attack

Norte de Santander

X

Diego Villamizar Salinas

• Municipality

  Cúcuta
• Position

  Pre-candidate for town council
• Party

  Centro Democrático
• Act

  Attack

Victor Julio Claro

• Municipality

  La Playa
• Position

  Mayoral candidate
• Party

  Partido Conservador
• Act

  Attack

Santander

X

Rafael Picon

• Municipality

  El Playón
• Position

  Candidate for assembly
• Party

  Centro Democrático
• Act

  Attack

Sucre

X

Hugo Sanchez Alquerque

• Municipality

  Los Palmitos
• Position

  Candidate for town council
• Party

  Unión Patriótica
• Act

  Attack

Tolima

X

Jorge Enrique Oliveros

• Municipality

  Ataco
• Position

  Mayoral pre-candidate
• Party

  Sin Partido (precandidato)
• Act

  Kidnapping

Edwin Berrio

• Municipality

  Ibagué
• Position

  Candidate for assembly
• Party

  Partido Conservador
• Act

  Attack

Valle del Cauca

X

Leonardo Nieto

• Municipality

  Yumbo
• Position

  Mayoral pre-candidate
• Party

  Sin Partido (precandidato)
• Act

  Murder

Javier Serrano Copete

• Municipality

  El Cerrito
• Position

  Pre-candidate for town council
• Party

  Cambio Radical
• Act

  Disappearance

Iganacio Londoño Zabala

• Municipality

  Cartago
• Position

  Mayoral pre-candidate
• Party

  GSC
• Act

  Murder

Jair Meneses

• Municipality

  Cali
• Position

  Candidate for city council
• Party

  ASI
• Act

  Attack

Mirama Montoya Baltán

• Municipality

  Buenaventura
• Position

  Candidatefor local administrative board
• Party

  Disappearance
• Act

  Desaparición

2019 Acts of violence

Antioquia

X

Héctor Gómez Barrios

• Municipality

  Medellín
• Position

  Mayoral pre-candidate
• Party

  Partido Liberal
• Act

  Murder

Nelson Enrique Gaviria Garcia

• Municipality

  Betania
• Position

  Candidate for town council
• Party

  Cambio radical
• Act

  Murder

Hernando Orley García Vásquez

• Municipality

  Toledo
• Position

  Mayoral candidate
• Party

  Coalición
• Act

  Murder

Jhon Jairo Vásquez

• Municipality

  Caucasia
• Position

  Candidate for municipal council
• Party

  Cambio Radical
• Act

  Attack

Arauca

X

Jahir Corredor

• Municipality

  Saravena
• Position

  Mayoral pre-candidate
• Party

  Centro Democrático
• Act

  Attack

Bolívar

X

Belisario Arciniega García

• Municipality

  Morales
• Position

  Pre-candidate for town council
• Party

  Partido de la U
• Act

  Murder

Kaleth Mejía Gaibao

• Municipality

  San Pablo
• Position

  Pre-candidate for town council
• Party

  Centro Democrático
• Act

  Attack

Luis Eduardo Caldera Villaminzar

• Municipality

  San Jacinto del Cauca
• Position

  Candidate for town council
• Party

  Partido de la U
• Act

  Murder

Caquetá

X

Hervi Abello Horta

• Municipality

  San José del Fragua
• Position

  Mayoral candidate
• Party

  Coalición
• Act

  Attack

Cauca

X

Cesar Lizardo Cerón

• Municipality

  Suárez
• Position

  Mayoral pre-candidate
• Party

  Líder sin partido
• Act

  Attack

Ceferino Sánchez

• Municipality

  Caloto
• Position

  Pre-candidate for assembly
• Party

  Líder sin partido
• Act

  Attack

Karina García Sierra

• Municipality

  Suárez
• Position

  Mayoral candidate
• Party

  Partido Liberal
• Act

  Murder

Yeison Obando

• Municipality

  Suárez
• Position

  Candidate for town council
• Party

  Partido Liberal
• Act

  Murder

Rubén Darío Banguero

• Municipality

  Caloto
• Position

  Mayoral candidate
• Party

  Partido Colombia Renaciente
• Act

  Attack

Cesar

X

Misael Liz Quintero

• Municipality

  La Jagua de Ibirico
• Position

  Mayoral pre-candidate
• Party

  Líder sin partido
• Act

  Attack

Chocó

X

Tulio Mosquera Asprilla

• Municipality

  Alto Baudó
• Position

  Mayoral candidate
• Party

  Partido Liberal
• Act

  Secuestro

Córdoba

X

Jorge Herney Castrillón Gutiérrez

• Municipality

  San José de Uré
• Position

  Mayoral pre-candidate
• Party

  Líder sin Partido
• Act

  Murder

Dumer Fernando Barco Palomino

• Municipality

  Sahagún
• Position

  Pre-candidate for town council
• Party

  Líder sin Partido
• Act

  Murder

Cundinamarca

X

Nelson Bermúdez

• Municipality

  La Vega
• Position

  Mayoral candidate
• Party

  Coalición
• Act

  Attack

Guaviare

X

Heynder Palacios

• Municipality

  San José del Guaviare
• Position

  Gubernatorial pre-candidate
• Party

  Partido Conservador
• Act

  Attack

Magdalena

X

Jesús Galindo

• Municipality

  El Retén
• Position

  Mayoral candidate
• Party

  Reivindicación Étnica "PRE"
• Act

  Attack

Nariño

X

Fabián Efraín Prado Rosero

• Municipality

  Mallama
• Position

  Pre-candidate for town council
• Party

  MAIS
• Act

  Murder

Walter Rodríguez López

• Municipality

  San Pedro de Cartago
• Position

  Mayoral candidate
• Party

  Partido de la U
• Act

  Attack

Norte de Santander

X

Emiro del Carmen Ropero

• Municipality

  Convención
• Position

  Candidate for assembly
• Party

  FARC
• Act

  Attack

Betsaida Montejo Pérez

• Municipality

  San Calixto
• Position

  Mayoral candidate
• Party

  GSC
• Act

  Attack

Bernardo Betancurt Orozco

• Municipality

  Tibú
• Position

  Mayoral candidate
• Party

  Partido Conservador
• Act

  Murder

Putumayo

X

Sonia Rosero González

• Municipality

  Puerto Asís
• Position

  Mayoral pre-candidate
• Party

  Líder sin partido
• Act

  Murder

Santander

X

Nicolás Contreras

• Municipality

  Barrancabermeja
• Position

  Mayoral candidate
• Party

  GSC
• Act

  Attack

Pacifico Ayala Lance

• Municipality

  Puerto Wilches
• Position

  Candidate for town council
• Party

  Partido Liberal
• Act

  Attack

Valle del Cauca

X

Hugo Eduardo Cedeño

• Municipality

  Cartago
• Position

  Mayoral pre-candidate
• Party

  Líder sin partido
• Act

  Attack

Silvio Montaño Arango

• Municipality

  El Cerrito
• Position

  Mayoral pre-candidate
• Party

  Líder sin partido
• Act

  Murder

José Daniel Gómez Cruz

• Municipality

  El Cairo
• Position

  Mayoral pre-candidate
• Party

  Partido Conservador
• Act

  Murder

Orlando Ordóñez Vanegas

• Municipality

  Toro
• Position

  Pre-candidate for town council
• Party

  Cambio Radical
• Act

  Murder

Silvio Alonso Álvarez

• Municipality

  Versalles
• Position

  Candidate for town council
• Party

  Centro Democrático
• Act

  Murder

Four years later, in the period between October 27, 2018 and October 18, 2019, there were, again, 34 acts of violence against candidates and pre-candidates. Of note, however, is the increase in murders — 16. Further evidence of the escalation of political violence can be found in the number of threats made, which increased from 79 to 102.

The perpetrators have been merciless: when Nelson Enrique Gaviria García — candidate to the municipality council of Betania, Antioquia — was shot to death in a taxi, sources say that the assailants that stopped the vehicle fired several bullets at a 14-year-old boy who was also sharing the taxi. In the municipality of Suárez (Cauca), a vehicle carrying mayoral candidate Karina García Sierra and young municipal council candidate Yeison Obando was shot at while it traversed a highway, before being set on fire. In addition to both of the candidates, three local activists and Karina García’s mother were also murdered in the attack.

Essential to the understanding of political violence in Colombia is recognizing its indiscriminate nature. MOE data shows no tendency on a national level to disproportionately target any political party or sector in either electoral period.

MOE data shows no tendency on a national level to disproportionately target any political party or sector in either electoral period.

With the majority of the crimes left unsolved, it is nearly impossible to identify the culprits. Given that so much of the violence occurred outside of territories where armed groups are present, there are suspicions that the responsibility for many of the cases lies elsewhere. Ángela Gómez Vega, an investigator for the MOE, explained to Latin America Reports that the “personal interests of individuals” was more likely to be a motivator behind the attacks than ideological antagonism between political parties.

To find out more about the factors explaining political violence in Colombia, read more on our interview with Ángela Gómez Vega here.

*Graphic design by Sebastian Castro and David Gonzalez

Read more: Colombia’s key local election outcomes mark a shift away from political elite