Colombia's escalating armed conflict and violence are dominating voters' minds in Sunday's key presidential election. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.
Edilma Martinez Flores said at a support centre in Bogotá: "My brother was murdered for not paying an extortion payment... in front of his children." She fled her home on the outskirts of Cali after armed groups handed out leaflets ordering residents to leave.
Colombia's six-decade conflict has killed hundreds of thousands of people. Illegal armed groups have roughly doubled their membership in the last five years, including FARC dissident factions, the ELN and the Clan del Golfo.
The two presidential candidates have starkly different visions for tackling this violence. Left-wing senator Iván Cepeda backs the current "total peace" strategy of negotiation, while right-wing businessman Abelardo de la Espriella promises a tough military crackdown and an end to talks with armed groups.
Isabelita Mercado Pineda, a government advisor for peace in Bogotá, said forced displacement rose 300% between 2024 and 2025. "We have not seen displacements like this for the last two decades," she added.
Trump endorsed de la Espriella, saying the election would determine Colombia's relationship with the US. De la Espriella grew up on Colombia's Caribbean coast, where he retains strong regional support.