The archbishop of Cali sparked a fierce debate after accusing Colombia’s President Ivan Duque of taking “genocidal revenge” against social leaders supporting the country’s peace process.
The Colombian Catholic Church distanced itself from Archbishop Dario Monsalve, who accused Duque of a “genocidal revenge to completely dismember society, social organizations and democracy in the fields and in the territories.”
Monsalve made the comments over the president’s failure to act against the mass killing of human rights defenders and community leaders’ lives since the 2016 peace deal.
According to conflict monitoring NGO Indepaz, at least 159 social leaders and 25 demobilized members of the FARC have been assassinated.
Killing of social leaders in Colombia
Source: Indepaz
The rejection of the Church and the government sparked a major support campaign for Monsalve, particularly from the organizations who have suffered the violence that has attracted the attention of the United Nations’ genocide prevention chief.
Indigenous and Afrocolombian organizations from the southwest of the country said Monsalve’s harsh criticism of the president and his far-right Democratic Center party “reflect how the communities in the Pacific and other regions think and feel.”
Statement by ethnic minorities
Duque has always claimed to be living up to his obligations, despite constant efforts to alter or obstruct the peace process.
The president’s political patron, former President Alvaro Uribe, has continued to refer to human rights defenders as terrorists while Uribe and many members of his party have been linked to organized crime and crimes against humanity that could be exposed during the peace process.