US lawmakers sound alarm over escalating violence in Colombia

A congressional hearing hosted by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission is warning that a surge in violence against Colombian human rights defenders and social leaders threatens to unravel years of progress toward peace.

Commission Chairman Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., said “the violence would only go away once the underlying root problems are addressed,” in his opening remarks. He expressed concern that Colombia’s peace process is “moving in the wrong direction” and criticized U.S. policy shifts for weakening peacebuilding efforts.