Colombia

Colombia is among the longest-standing democracies in Latin America, but one with a history of widespread violence and serious human rights abuses. Public institutions have demonstrated the capacity to check executive power, and the country’s main left-wing guerrilla group signed a peace accord in 2016. Nonetheless, Colombia faces enormous challenges in consolidating peace and guaranteeing political rights and civil liberties outside of major urban areas. In June 2022, opposition candidate and former left-wing guerrilla member Gustavo Petro was elected to the presidency and formed a government comprised of a broad left-wing coalition, becoming Colombia’s first leftist government since the reestablishment of competitive democracy.