Summary

The Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Olivier De Schutter, visited Colombia between 26 August and 4 September 2024, at the invitation of the Government. The purpose of the visit was to examine the efforts made by Colombia to combat poverty and to protect the human rights of people in poverty. The Special Rapporteur travelled to Bogotá, where he visited the locality of Ciudad Bolivar, and to Buenaventura, Cali and Soacha, meeting with local, regional and national government officials, international institutions and United Nations entities, civil society organizations and people affected by poverty in both urban and rural areas. He visited community-led projects in Buenaventura, Cali, Ciudad Bolivar and Soacha, through which communities seek to fill the gaps left by the failure of the State to provide basic public services in areas such as education and social protection, or access to land and water, and the failure to protect the most vulnerable from the threats of non-State armed groups and drug traffickers