Proposed budget cuts threaten Colombia's peace court and missing persons search

Colombian legislators are set to decide by Oct. 20 how to allocate the next year’s $195 billion budget, with joint committees already recommending deep cuts to two key transitional-justice bodies. The Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) faces a proposed 17% reduction, while the Search Unit for Disappeared People (UBPD) could see its budget slashed by roughly 22%, threatening its ability to conduct DNA collection and about 10,000 planned exhumations.

Senator Enrique Gomez, a close ally of President Abelardo De La Espriella, argues the JEP is too costly and slow, seeking to redirect funds to the ordinary court system. The JEP, established by the 2016 peace accord, prosecutes former FARC leaders and military personnel for crimes against humanity and currently manages nine cases, including sexual violence and child soldier recruitment. Magistrate Catalina Diaz cautioned that the cuts would impair rural hearings, victim representation, psychological care, and security measures for participants.

NGO analyst Paula Vargas warned that excessive cuts could cripple the court’s effectiveness, while UBPD director Luz Janeth Forero stressed that reduced funding would undermine interdisciplinary investigations and field deployments in remote areas. The debate reflects broader tensions over how Colombia will sustain its transitional-justice framework while managing fiscal constraints.