The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported on Tuesday that the number of people displaced by conflict in Colombia doubled year-on-year in 2025, as violence by armed groups reached its highest level in a decade. At least 322,688 people were displaced in 2025, a 100 percent increase over 2024 when 158,925 people were reported displaced. The surge was driven by intensified clashes between rival guerrilla factions in populated areas.
Power Vacuum and Intensified Conflict
A plethora of armed groups are vying to fill the vacuum left by the disarmament of the Marxist guerrilla army FARC, which ended its half-century war with the Colombian state in 2016. Their battle for control of the cocaine trade, illegal gold mines, and extortion rackets has intensified in recent years, even as left-wing President Gustavo Petro attempted to engage them in peace talks.
Worst-Affected Region
The worst-affected area in 2025 was Norte de Santander department on the northeastern border with Venezuela. There, clashes between the National Liberation Army (ELN), Colombia's largest guerrilla group, and dissident FARC members killed over 70 people and forced thousands to flee their homes.
Rising Confinement and Explosive Attacks
Across the country, the ICRC noted a 99 percent increase in the number of people confined to their homes by armed groups, a tactic regularly used by guerrillas to assert control over a territory. Additionally, deaths and injuries from attacks with explosive devices, such as drones increasingly used against security forces, rose by 34 percent.
Election Context and Security Concerns
The ICRC report comes just weeks before presidential elections on May 31, with security as a central issue for voters. The current campaign has been rocked by several major attacks. Right-wing candidate Miguel Uribe was shot in the head while campaigning in Bogota last year and later died of his injuries. Last week, a 25-year-old journalist was murdered while reporting on clashes between armed groups in northwestern Antioquia department. In late April, FARC dissidents claimed responsibility for a bomb attack on a highway in southwestern Cauca department, killing 21 people—the deadliest attack on Colombian civilians in over two decades.
Call for Dialogue
The head of the ICRC delegation in Bogota, Olivier Dubois, called the situation a "tragedy" and insisted on the need for dialogue with all parties to the conflict. He emphasized the importance of protecting civilians and respecting international humanitarian law.
