Colombia's next government must prioritize dismantling illegal armed groups and criminal gangs, a report from the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said on Tuesday, with rising violence devastating rural communities.
Violence in Colombia fell dramatically following the 2016 peace deal between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group, but illegal armed groups and criminal gangs have expanded their presence over the past two years, according to the report.
"The state's predominantly military response has failed to stop the groups' expansion, with the limited presence of civilian institutions exacerbating the situation," the OHCHR said in a statement accompanying the report.
