Colombia reports 132,000 deaths and soaring armed group ranks a decade after peace deal

In a first address to the United Nations Security Council, Colombia's foreign minister Omar Bula warned that the celebrated 2016 peace accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia has failed to deliver lasting stability. He cited official figures showing more than 132,000 murders and a rise in armed group membership from roughly 6,000 to almost 30,000 over the past ten years, alongside nearly 100,000 extortion cases and over 2,750 kidnappings.

Bula highlighted the growing threat from the National Liberation Army, the Clan del Golfo cartel, splinter FARC factions and transnational crime networks, noting a 50% jump in coca production in 2023. President Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office in August and calls himself “The Tiger,” has responded with a hard-line security push, reporting 32,029 arrests, seizure of more than 135 tons of narcotics, removal of 3,414 firearms and 119 extradition orders.

He also dealt with a 7.4-magnitude earthquake on Aug. 13, shortly after his inauguration. Bula said these actions aim to re-establish state authority, a prerequisite for sustainable peace, as the UN verification mission’s mandate expires on Oct. 31.