Elections and public contracts in Colombia reportedly under the control of armed groups
Between January 23 and 25, 2026, the Acordemos Foundation and the newspaper El Espectador held a forum as part of the Honda 2026 Encounter.
TL;DR
- Illegal armed groups are allegedly influencing congressional elections in 168 Colombian municipalities.
- Criminal organizations reportedly extort 7% to 10% of public works contract values as a condition for project execution.
- The forum concluded that participation in local and legislative elections is now more profitable than drug trafficking for these groups.
- There are concerns about the judicial system's disorganization and outdated norms for confronting modern criminality.
- The expansion of coca cultivation is attributed to state non-compliance, security deterioration, lack of comprehensive strategies, and recent negotiations granting control to armed groups.
- The territorial component of the 2016 Peace Accord is described as 'practically abandoned'.
- Intelligence capabilities of public forces have reportedly been dismantled, reducing their ability to contain armed groups.