Political Shift in Colombia: What Impact Will the Election Have on the More Than 100 Indigenous Peoples?

According to the human rights organization Society for Threatened Peoples (STP), the election of Abelardo de la Espriella as the new president of Colombia marks a political shift. With his promise of greater security, stronger state control, and economic liberalization, this right-wing hardliner is outlining a political agenda that leaves little room for ethnic diversity, collective rights, and the right of Indigenous Peoples to make decisions regarding their territories.

“Although more than 1.9 million members of Indigenous Peoples live in Colombia and the country constitutionally defines itself as a pluriethnic and multicultural state, their rights play hardly any role in the election winner’s platform. Given the importance of Indigenous territories for many of the planned projects, this is cause for concern,” says Jan Königshausen, Advisor on Indigenous Peoples at the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP). In total, more than 115 Indigenous Peoples are recognized in the country.

“The election of Abelardo de la Espriella reflects a regional trend that prioritizes state control, natural resource extraction, and a heavy-handed approach over minority rights and social diversity. For Indigenous Peoples, this is a warning sign,” emphasizes Königshausen.

The election campaign clearly highlighted the differing visions for Colombia’s future. While the defeated candidate, Cepeda, ran with an Indigenous vice-presidential candidate and explicitly emphasized the country’s ethnic diversity as a political value, Indigenous rights played, at best, a secondary role in de la Espriella’s campaign. The resulting danger for Indigenous Peoples becomes particularly clear when considering the future president’s economic plans. De la Espriella is committed to expanding the natural resources and energy sectors and spoke out in favor of introducing fracking during the campaign.

“Many of the announced economic projects affect regions where Indigenous communities live and exercise collective rights. Economic interests and state control clash there with the Indigenous communities’ rights to self-determination and participation,” said Königshausen.

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