DOCSLIB.ORG

Developmental Evaluation Colombia Complexity-Aware M&E

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Developmental Evaluation Colombia Complexity-Aware M&E PHOTO: JUAN RUIZ DEVELOPMENTAL EVALUATION COLOMBIA COMPLEXITY-AWARE M&E Fifth Iteration CONTRACT NO. AID-OAA-I-15-00017, ORDER NO. AID-514-TO-17-00010 DISCLAIMER: This is an external evaluation. The view expressed in this document are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect the view of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. Submitted to: USAID/Colombia Submitted January 2021 Contractor: Democracy International, Inc. 7600 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1010 Bethesda, MD 20814 Tel: 301-961-1660 www.democracyinternational.com EXTENDED SUMMARY INTRODUCTION Under its contract with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Democracy International (DI) is responsible for conducting the Complexity-Aware Monitoring and Evaluation (C-AME) activity to monitor and evaluate the USAID/Colombia Reconciliation Activity, PAR (Programa de Alianzas para la Reconciliación), implemented by ACDI/VOCA. As part of this activity, DI presents in this document the results of the fifth iteration of the developmental evaluation (DE). The DE is a systematic effort to track and analyze program results that emerge under conditions of complexity, to document and interpret the dynamics, interactions, and interdependencies that occur and inform results during the implementation of PAR. This DE report package includes three documents: 1) an extended executive summary, which presents an overview of the analysis from primary and secondary data collection used to address the core questions of this evaluation, along with recommendations and lessons for the implementation and programmatic levels. 2) an annex with the detailed analysis of implementation and context (including a separate section on gender issues); the introductory section of this annex includes details about the evaluation scope, methodology, and an overview of the context trends in the Colombia-Venezuela border municipalities. 3) an annex comprising the case-by-case analyses, in which each case covers a specific implemented activity selected for this evaluation. PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS This report synthesizes the meaningful observations, data gathering, and results of the mixed-method analyses that C-AME has completed to date and leverages this body of work to address three primary questions about the Reconciliation Activity: Q1. What is considered working and not working (and by whom) as the intervention unfolds? Q2. How is the Reconciliation Activity connected to and affected by the wider context? Q3. How and why do contextual factors influence results and what are the trends in the wider context? Field data collection and analysis for this developmental evaluation are limited to municipalities where PAR is implementing a set of projects selected for this exercise. For this iteration of the DE, C-AME worked with USAID and PAR to prioritize specific interventions in three municipalities located on the border between Colombia and Venezuela: Arauca (department of Arauca), Cúcuta (department of Norte de Santander), and Maicao (department of La Guajira). C-AME selected the seven projects outlined in table 1 (details about rationale for project selection are available in Annex 1 – Evaluation Scope). Understanding the highly nuanced dynamics of each region of Colombia, in addition to the more recent context trends as they relate to the influx of Venezuelan migrants into Colombia, allows C-AME to draw preliminary conclusions about what works and does not work as PAR’s interventions unfold. Further, triangulating results across all cases (Q1) in combination with the analyses of contexts (Q2 and Q3) allows C-AME to formulate meaningful lessons learned and recommendations that PAR and USAID may wish to consider in future interventions (see Annex 1). Table 1. Projects selected by C-AME for DE 5 PAR Location Project title Implementing partner Code Propuesta de integración económica y Corporación El Minuto de PAR- Arauca reconciliación “Integración Construimos Dios – Arauca (CMD-Arauca) 03-157 Futuro en Arauca” 1 PAR Location Project title Implementing partner Code Generación de ingresos, independencia Cámara de Comercio de PAR- económica y entornos de protección a Arauca (CCA) 03-166 migrantes, retornadas, jóvenes y mujeres Propuesta de integración económica y Corporación El Minuto de PAR - reconciliación: Integrándonos construimos Dios – Maicao (CMD-Maicao) 03-155 futuro - Maicao Reconciliación e inclusión socio productiva a Asociación de Agricultores partir de la siembra de melón para la PAR - independientes de la vereda Maicao exportación a la isla de Curazao en el 03-171 Atnamana (Atnamana) municipio de Maicao La diversidad, elemento clave para la construcción de iniciativas de convivencia y PAR- Nuestro Flow S.A.S. (NF) reconciliación con población étnica, migrante y 03-180 de acogida Integrándonos construimos futuro, estrategia Corporación El Minuto de PAR- de reconciliación e integración económica en Dios – Cúcuta (CMD-Cúcuta) 03-149 Cúcuta Cámara de Comercio de PAR- Cúcuta Incluyente, Emprendedora y Solidaria Cúcuta Cúcuta (CCC) 03-146 La diversidad, elemento clave para la construcción de iniciativas de convivencia y PAR- Nuestro Flow S.A.S. (NF) reconciliación con población étnica, migrante y 03-180 de acogida The data for this DE come from primary sources (i.e. PAR staff, implementing partners, project participants, and context actors), and C-AME collected these data through individual and group semi- structured interviews and focus groups. C-AME obtained 93 interviews (focus groups and semi- structured interviews) with 150 participants including PAR staff (headquarters and local officers), PAR implementing partners and beneficiaries, and context actors (for more information see Annex A). C-AME analyzed demographic, socio-economic, and security data to characterize and further analyze PAR’s implementation environment and used this data to highlight possible contingencies that may have a positive or negative impact on its work. C-AME applied textual statistical and qualitative analysis procedures to its unique databases of beneficiary, implementing partner, and stakeholder narratives to systematically examine interviews and identify key themes to develop a method for coding the data. We used NVivo 11 to organize and to conduct the first level of primary data analysis: text analysis and text mining. Using codes for analysis and identification of emerging issues, C-AME team explored relationships between categories and concepts, to further identify learning opportunities and formulate recommendations for improvement. THE CHALLENGES OF BUILDING RECONCILIATION ON THE COLOMBIA-VENEZUELA BORDER This developmental evaluation focused on the analysis of PAR implementation on the Colombia- Venezuela border and, as such, C-AME considers it relevant to start by laying out some aspects of the context in the border area to set the stage for the contents of the project-level, gender, and context analyses sections. In its fourth year of implementation, PAR expanded its territorial focus to include five municipalities located in three departments of the Colombia-Venezuela border: Norte de Santander, La 2 Guajira, and Arauca.1 The change in geographic focus also implied a thematic adjustment, from a focus on, “…incidence of violence, socioeconomic conditions, presence of victims and demobilized persons, and local state institutional capacity,” from PAR’s foundational documents, to a focus on the emergent tensions that exist in border areas, with an emphasis on, “new conflict scenarios related to xenophobia, intolerance, and discrimination, stemming from the high rate of migration from Venezuela.”2 This new scenario of implementation on the Colombian-Venezuelan border poses a series of challenges for PAR, as activities implemented in this context face common unresolved issues stemming from historical problems in these locations. These common unresolved issues combined with the influx of people fleeing the political and economic crisis from Venezuela into Colombia has increased the need to focus the efforts of the GOC and international donors to assist migrants; this in turn deepens existing social tensions around access to the provision of goods and services for vulnerable populations from both national resources and international donors. Emerging tensions create an environment that negatively affects people’s willingness to engage in reconciliation. In the next section, C-AME presents the key findings of the DE, highlighting the main successes and learning opportunities at the project and program implementation levels. These helped C-AME to draw recommendations for future PAR and other USAID reconciliation programming. Additional aspects of implementation, context and explanations that allow C-AME to produce this summary of results are available in Annexes 2 and 3. SECTION 1: IMPLEMENTATION AND SURROUNDING CONTEXTS SUB-SECTION 1.1: IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS WITH EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH VULNERABLE POPULATIONS (CMD) C-AME created a category called “implementing partners with experience working with vulnerable populations,” which includes projects implemented by the partner Corporación Minuto de Dios in the cities of Arauca (CMD-Arauca, PAR-03-157), Cúcuta (CMD-Cúcuta, PAR-03-149), and Maicao (CMD- Maicao, PAR-03-155). According to CMD’s mission statement, they work under a unique development model designed to promote community development by supporting community engagement, conflict resolution, and mutual aid that constantly improves the quality of
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Pdf | 271.02 Kb
    United Nations S/2019/1017 Security Council Distr.: General 31 December 2019 Original: English Children and armed conflict in Colombia Report of the Secretary-General Summary The present report, submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) and subsequent resolutions, is the fourth report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in Colombia and covers the period from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2019. The report provides information on the six grave violations against children, on parties to conflict responsible, where identified, and on progress made in the protection of children affected by armed conflict. The reporting period was marked by the implementation of the Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace (S/2017/272, annex II) between the Government of Colombia and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP), which put an end to a five-decade-long conflict. A decrease in the total number of grave violations against children was documented and can be explained in part by the signature of the peace agreement and the subsequent demobilization of the largest armed group in the country. Over the same period, however, other armed groups expanded their territorial presence, including in areas vacated by FARC-EP, and FARC-EP dissident groups emerged. These developments have continued to expose children to grave violations, in particular recruitment and use and sexual violence. Highlighted in the report are the efforts made by the Government of Colombia to strengthen the framework to respond to, end and prevent grave violations against children, including through prevention strategies.
    [Show full text]
  • FULLTEXT01.Pdf
    1 Cover photo: José Ramón Gomez, Arauca, 2012 Front page designed by: Manuela Giraldo 'When an Indigenous People disappears, a whole world is extinguished forever, along with its culture, spirituality, language, ancestral knowledge and traditional practices ... The survival of Indigenous Peoples with dignity is all in our hands.” National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC) "We are not myths of the past neither ruins in the jungle. We are people and we want to be respected…” Rigoberta Menchu Tum 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................. 5 PREFACE .................................................................................................................................... 6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................ 7 ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................................... 8 1.1 Aim and Research Question ............................................................................................ 10 1.2 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................... 10 1.2.1 Structural Violence ................................................................................................ 11 1.2.2 Civilians Targeted by GAO ML..........................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Colombia Page 1 of 21
    Colombia Page 1 of 21 Colombia Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2006 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor March 6, 2007 Colombia is a constitutional, multiparty democracy with a population of approximately 42 million. On May 28, independent presidential candidate Alvaro Uribe was reelected in elections that were considered generally free and fair. The 42-year internal armed conflict continued between the government and terrorist organizations, particularly the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN). .The United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) was demobilized by August, but renegade AUC members who did not demobilize, or who demobilized but later abandoned the peace process, remained the object of military action. While civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces, there were instances in which elements of the security forces acted in violation of state policy. Although serious problems remained, the government's respect for human rights continued to improve, which was particularly evident in actions undertaken by the government's security forces and in demobilization negotiations with the AUC. The following societal problems and governmental human rights abuses were reported during the year: unlawful and extrajudicial killings; forced disappearances; insubordinate military collaboration with criminal groups; torture and mistreatment of detainees; overcrowded and insecure prisons; arbitrary arrest; high number of
    [Show full text]
  • Targeting Civilians in Colombia's Internal Armed
    ‘ L E A V E U S I N P E A C E ’ T LEAVE US IN A ‘ R G E T I N G C I V I L I A N S PEA CE’ I N C O TARG ETING CIVILIANS L O M B I A IN COL OM BIA S INTERNAL ’ S ’ I N T E R ARMED CONFL IC T N A L A R M E D C O N F L I C ‘LEAVE US IN PEACE’ T TARGETING CIVILIANS IN COLOMBIA ’S INTERNAL ARMED CONFLICT “Leave us in peace!” – Targeting civilians in Colombia’s internal armed conflict describes how the lives of millions of Colombians continue to be devastated by a conflict which has now lasted for more than 40 years. It also shows that the government’s claim that the country is marching resolutely towards peace does not reflect the reality of continued A M violence for many Colombians. N E S T Y At the heart of this report are the stories of Indigenous communities I N T decimated by the conflict, of Afro-descendant families expelled from E R their homes, of women raped and of children blown apart by landmines. N A The report also bears witness to the determination and resilience of T I O communities defending their right not to be drawn into the conflict. N A L A blueprint for finding a lasting solution to the crisis in Colombia was put forward by the UN more than 10 years ago. However, the UN’s recommendations have persistently been ignored both by successive Colombian governments and by guerrilla groups.
    [Show full text]
  • Venezuela Regional Migration Crisis: Who Are the Children Most at Risk?
    FINAL REPORT VENEZUELA REGIONAL MIGRATION CRISIS: WHO ARE THE CHILDREN MOST AT RISK? An analysis of shifting vulnerabilities in the border departments of Colombia (Arauca and La Guajira) Save the Children Colombia March 2019 Foreword Save the Children is strongly involved in the humanitarian response in Colombia as well as in For over 30 years, Save the Children Colombia has other neighbouring countries. Across the region, we been responding to emergencies related to the internal are committed to reach every last child and to unveil armed conflict and natural disasters. For the first time, the current gaps to the accomplishment of their rights. the organisation is responding to an international That is why we commissioned a study identifying who migration crisis of unprecedented proportions. Since were the children most at risk in the context of this 2015, our teams have reached pregnant adolescents, particular crisis, focusing on the two border departments mothers forced to bury their child along the way to of Colombia (Arauca and La Guajira). In our day-to-day Colombia, young adults at risk of being recruited by work, we observe that migratory patterns are dynamic, armed groups, and entire families who crossed the and that populations sometimes present cumulative layers border from Venezuela with little but hope. Economic of vulnerability. Save the Children needed a systematic and institutional challenges, as well as repeated exposure analysis of the impact of the crisis on children, including to violence, more often than not await Venezuelans and with a gender lens, with concrete recommendations Colombian returnees in countries to which they have to inform our programmes and that of our partners.
    [Show full text]
  • BIOTA COLOMBIANA ISSN Impreso 0124-5376 Volumen 20 · Número 1 · Enero-Junio De 2019 ISSN Digital 2539-200X DOI 10.21068/C001
    BIOTA COLOMBIANA ISSN impreso 0124-5376 Volumen 20 · Número 1 · Enero-junio de 2019 ISSN digital 2539-200X DOI 10.21068/c001 Atropellamiento vial de fauna silvestre en la Troncal del Caribe Amaryllidaceae en Colombia Adiciones al inventario de copépodos de Colombia Nuevos registros de avispas en la región del Orinoco Herpetofauna de San José del Guaviare Escarabajos estercoleros en Aves en los páramos de Antioquia Oglán Alto, Ecuador y el complejo de Chingaza Biota Colombiana es una revista científica, periódica-semestral, Comité Directivo / Steering Committee que publica artículos originales y ensayos sobre la biodiversi- Brigitte L. G. Baptiste Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos dad de la región neotropical, con énfasis en Colombia y países Alexander von Humboldt vecinos, arbitrados mínimo por dos evaluadores externos. In- M. Gonzalo Andrade Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia cluye temas relativos a botánica, zoología, ecología, biología, Francisco A. Arias Isaza Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras limnología, conservación, manejo de recursos y uso de la bio- “José Benito Vives De Andréis” - Invemar diversidad. El envío de un manuscrito implica la declaración Charlotte Taylor Missouri Botanical Garden explícita por parte del (los) autor (es) de que este no ha sido previamente publicado, ni aceptado para su publicación en otra Editor / Editor revista u otro órgano de difusión científica. El proceso de arbi- Rodrigo Bernal Independiente traje tiene una duración mínima de tres a cuatro meses a partir Editor de artículos de datos / Data papers Editor de la recepción del artículo por parte de Biota Colombiana. To- Dairo Escobar Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos das las contribuciones son de la entera responsabilidad de sus Alexander von Humboldt autores y no del Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Bioló- Asistente editorial / Editorial assistant gicos Alexander von Humboldt, ni de la revista o sus editores.
    [Show full text]
  • Humanitarian Bulletin Colombia Issue 04 | 01 - 30 April 2012
    Humanitarian Bulletin Colombia Issue 04 | 01 - 30 April 2012 In this issue Mass displacement rises 49% P.1 HIGHLIGHTS Hostilities hinder health assistance P.2 • UN Secretary-General issues Forced recruitment of children P.3 report on children adn armed conflict. More than 70,000 affected by rains P.5 Floods in San Estanilao, Bolívar COOPI / Daniel Perisco • Mass displacement rises by 49% in April. Clashes along the Pacific Coast exacerbate New UN report emphasizes plight of children in vulnerabilities. armed conflict • Hostilities drop but impact on civilians remains dire. Indigenous and Afro-Colombian children suffer disproportionately • GoC sets conditions to On 6 March, the UN Secretary-General issued his second report on children in armed strengthen risk management conflict in Colombia. The report highlights the persistence of grave violations against chil- and risk reduction. dren from January 2009 to August 2011 – including recruitment of children by non-State armed groups, use by all armed groups, killing and maiming, sexual violence, abductions, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access. These violations FIGURES tend to be under-reported and disproportionately affect indigenous and Afro-Colombian # of IDPs in children. The report goes on to highlight Government efforts to address the situation fol- 2011 (NGO 259.146 lowing previous UN recommendations. Colombia is not formally on the Security Council sources) agenda and has voluntarily agreed to establish reporting and monitoring on children in Children victims armed conflict. A recent report from Watchlist also calls the attention on these violations. of APM/UXO in 34 2012 Both reports highlight the need to provide equal assistance and protection to children ERF 2012 1.6m separated from post-demobilization armed groups -considered as criminal groups by the Goverment-.
    [Show full text]
  • BOLETÍN CIENTÍFICO CENTRO DE MUSEOS MUSEO DE HISTORIA NATURAL Vol
    BOLETÍN CIENTÍFICO CENTRO DE MUSEOS MUSEO DE HISTORIA NATURAL Vol. 22 No. 2 SCIENTIFIC BULLETIN MUSEUM CENTER NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Vol. 22 No. 2 bol.cient.mus.his.nat. Manizales (Colombia) Vol. 22 No. 2 222 p. julio-diciembre ISSN 0123-3068 ISSN: 2462-8190 de 2018 (Impreso) (En línea) ISSN 0123–3068 (Impreso) ISSN: 2462-8190 (En línea) -Fundada en 1995- BOLETÍN CIENTÍFICO Nueva periodicidad semestral CENTRO DE MUSEOS Tiraje 150 ejemplares Vol. 22 No. 2, 222 p. MUSEO DE HISTORIA NATURAL julio-diciembre, 2018 Manizales - Colombia Rector Alejandro Ceballos Márquez Vicerrector Académico Marco Tulio Jaramillo Salazar Vicerrectora de Investigaciones y Postgrados Luisa Fernanda Giraldo Zuluaga Vicerrector Administrativo Manuel Humberto Jiménez Ramírez Vicerrectora de Proyección Universitaria Patricia Salazar Villegas Decano Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales Marco Tulio Jaramillo Salazar Centro de Museos Olga Lucía Hurtado Boletín Científico Revista especializada en estudios Centro de Museos de Historia Natural y áreas Museo de Historia Natural biológicas afines. Director Julián A. Salazar E. Médico Veterinario & Zootecnista (MVZ). Universidad de Caldas, Centro de Museos. Indexada por Publindex Categoría A2 Zoological Record SciELO Index Copernicus Scopus Cómite Editorial Cómite Internacional Ricardo Walker Ángel L. Viloria Investigador, Fundador Boletín Biólogo-Zoólogo, Ph.D., Centro Científico Museo de Historia de Ecología, IVIC, Venezuela Natural, Universidad de Caldas Tomasz Pyrcz Luis Carlos Pardo-Locarno Entomólogo, Ph.D., Museo de Ingeniero Agronómo, Ph.D., MSc., Zoología Universidad Jaguellónica, CIAT Palmira, Valle Polonia John Harold Castaño Zsolt Bálint MSc. Programa Biología, Biologo, Ph.D., Museo de Historia Universidad de Caldas Natural de Budapest, Hungría Luís M. Constantino Carlos López Vaamonde Entomólogo, MSc., Centro Ingeniero Agrónomo, Entomólogo, de Investigaciones para el café MSc., Ph.D., BSc.
    [Show full text]
  • Fact Sheet #1, Fiscal Year (Fy) 2020 February 12, 2020
    VENEZUELA REGIONAL CRISIS FACT SHEET #1, FISCAL YEAR (FY) 2020 FEBRUARY 12, 2020 HUMANITARIAN FUNDING NUMBERS AT HIGHLIGHTS A GLANCE FOR THE VENEZUELA REGIONAL CRISIS Government of Colombia grants RESPONSE IN FYs 2017–2019 citizenship to children born in Colombia to Venezuelan parents USAID/OFDA1 $117,078,942 4.8 Measles-related deaths in Venezuela USAID/FFP2 $147,117,407 decline by 96 percent in 2019 following million country-wide vaccination campaign State/PRM3 $208,206,327 Estimated Number of Government of Brazil grants refugee Venezuelan Migrants and status to 37,000 Venezuelans Refugees $472,402,676 R4V – February 2020 6.5 million KEY DEVELOPMENTS The 2020 Global Humanitarian Overview, released by the UN in December, requests Projected Number of Venezuelan Migrants and $2.1 billion to support the humanitarian response for the Venezuela regional crisis in Refugees by End of 2020 2020. The appeal includes $750 million for humanitarian efforts in Venezuela to reach R4V – November 2019 3.5 million of the estimated 7 million people in need, and $1.35 billion to reach approximately 4 million crisis-affected individuals across 17 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, as outlined in the 2020 Regional Refugee and Migrant Response Plan $750 for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela (RMRP). The number of measles-related deaths in Venezuela declined by 96 percent in 2019 million compared to the previous year, following a country-wide vaccination campaign between Funding Requirement for April 2018 and July 2019 that reached nearly 9 million children ages 6 months–15 years, 2020 Humanitarian with funding from USAID/OFDA and other donors.
    [Show full text]
  • (National Liberation Army) in Colombia and Venezuela R
    The Reinforcing Activities of the ELN(National Liberation Army) in Colombia and Venezuela R. EVAN ELLIS, PHD* n the past five years, a confluence of events in Colombia and Venezuela have empowered the National Liberation Army (ELN) to become a far more dan- Igerous and intractable threat to both countries, and the region. The reinforc- ing effects of the partial demobilization the rival Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC),1 a dramatic expansion in coca production in Columbia,2 a permissive environment for the ELN in neighboring Venezuela,3 plus opportuni- ties arising out of that nation’s criminal economy and refugee crisis, have together allowed the organization to become larger, better funded, and more difficult to dislodge. In the process, the organization has begun to displace a range of key adversaries in both Colombia and Venezuela, increase its territorial control, play an expanded role in transnational criminal activities from drugs and gasoline smuggling to mining to extortion, impacting not only the security of Colombia, but the future of Venezuela, as well as facilitating ever greater flows of narcotics and refugees that impact Brazil, the Caribbean, Central America and beyond. ELN activities in Colombia and Venezuela countries are complimentary, al- though its actual activities differ from its public posture in both. In Colombia, the group seeks the overthrow of the government through revolutionary action,4 al- though its armed actions are limited relative to its fundraising through illicit ac- tivities. In Venezuela, the group does not openly seek the government’s downfall, and collaborates with that nation’s political leadership and local military commanders,5 as the ELN it uses the country as a strategic safe zone and concen- trates on the generation of revenue through illicit activities.
    [Show full text]
  • Country Advice Colombia – COL38771 – M19– Bucaramanga
    Country Advice Colombia Colombia – COL38771 – M19– Bucaramanga – Valledupar – Arjona Cesar – Pailitas – Barranquilla 8 June 2011 1. Can you please confirm that there have been no significant changes to the information contained in COL38612 dated 20 April 2011? There have been no significant changes to the information contained in Country Advice COL38612 of 20 April 2011.1 More recent reports include the recently released Amnesty International 2011 report on Colombia, which refers to guerrilla groups, paramilitaries and the security forces in Colombia being “responsible for serious and widespread human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law, including war crimes.” The parties to the conflict did not distinguish between civilians and combatants, resulting in unlawful killings, forced displacement, kidnappings and enforced disappearances. The FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) and the smaller National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional, ELN) were reported to have “committed serious human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law, including unlawful killings, hostage-taking and the recruitment of children.” FARC in particular had “carried out indiscriminate attacks in which civilians were put at risk through the use of low-precision explosive devices.” Paramilitaries continued to kill civilians, recruit children, threaten and kill social leaders and human rights defenders, and carry out acts of “social cleansing”. These groups had continued to expand and become organisationally more sophisticated. There was continuing collusion with the security forces in many parts of the country.2 On 25 May 2011, it was reported that Colombia had issued a new security plan, aimed at breaking up criminal gangs, minimising drug trafficking and improving security in the next three years.
    [Show full text]
  • Situation Overview
    COVID-19 DISEASE SOUTH AMERICA REGIONAL RESPONSE Reporting period 27 May – 29 June © IOM Brazil 32,527,322 994,256 CONFIRMED CASES IN SOUTH AMERICA1 DEATHS2 SITUATION OVERVIEW Brazil leads with 18,420,598 active COVID-19 cases, days ago, demonstrating an increase of 13%. In terms followed by Argentina, Colombia, and Peru, with of mortality, Brazil also leads with 513,474 COVID-19 4,405,247, 4,158,716, and 2,048,115 cases, respectively. related deaths, followed by Peru, Colombia, and Argentina, From 22 to 29 June, the sharpest increases in cases with 191,899, 104,678, and 92,568 deaths, respectively. were reported in Colombia (5%), Venezuela (3%), and In the region, the total number of deaths is at 994,256, Argentina (3%). In South America, the total number of compared to 777,252 thirty days ago, demonstrating an cases is at 32,527,322, compared to 28,663,114 thirty increase of 28%. 1 WHO COVID-19 Situation Dashboard: https://covid19.who.int/ 2 WHO COVID-19 Situation Dashboard: https://covid19.who.int/ 1 COVID-19 DISEASE SOUTH AMERICA REGIONAL RESPONSE SNAPSHOT OF IOM RESPONSE IN SOUTH AMERICA STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1 in Maicao, Riohacha, San Juan del Cesar y Uribia (department of La Guajira), and in Cúcuta, Chinácota, Ensure a well-coordinated, informed and timely response Pamplona, Ocaña and Villa del Rosario (department of through mobility tracking systems and strengthening Norte de Santander). partnership and coordination structures established at the community, national and regional levels. In addition, the mission coordinated with local
    [Show full text]