What's Happening in Colombia

In this week's episode Connor is joined by Juan and Laura from Rutas del Conflicto, an independent news organization dedicated to reporting on the armed conflict in Colombia. Juan and Laura breakdown why social leaders have been getting killed at such high rates. We also discuss the strength of paramilitaries since the signing of the 2016 peace accord. Support this awesome independent organization's work and check out its donation page with cool reward options: https://vaki.co/es/vaki/apoyoarutas Take a look at their website with loads of good articles about the armed conflict in Colombia: https://rutasdelconflicto.com/ & make sure to follow their social media pages: https://twitter.com/rutasconflicto https://www.instagram.com/rutasdelconflicto/

Connor is joined by Carolina Botero to discuss the impact of technology in the Paro Nacional, the government's involvement with shutting down the internet during protests, human rights violations and much more. If you are a Spanish speaker, you HAVE TO tune into Karisma's new podcast detailing these themes in greater detail. It's a fantastic listen. Check out the first episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0kdhbdMZFGkAG7ItQbsFEc?si=Na3cJIHBRH6uDp3TVNQgMg&dl_branch=1 Also be sure to check out Karisma's web page: https://web.karisma.org.co/ and follow them on social media: https://twitter.com/karisma https://www.instagram.com/karismacol/

Daniela León and Daniel Jaimes from Red Uva join Connor on this week's episode to discuss all things related to corruption in Colombia. We discuss the ripple effects of corruption in Colombia, the sanctions that exist to combat it, corruption in the Paro Nacional, and much more. Make sure to consider donating to their donation page: https://vaki.co/reduvatevakuva2021 Check out Red Uva's webpage to get involved in the fight against corruption: www.reduva.org And follow their social media accounts to stay up to date on corruption in Colombia: Instagram: https://instagram.com/red_uva?utm_medium=copy_link Twitter: https://twitter.com/red_uva?s=11

This week we speak with Colombia-based journalist Megan Janetsky about the places and things she's seen while reporting in Colombia. Topics include Colombia's ghost towns, sexual violence, and the baby boom that FARC experienced after the peace accord. Follow Megan on Twitter to stay up to date on all things related to Colombia: https://twitter.com/meganjanetsky And check out her articles that we discussed during the episode: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/17/colombia-ghost-towns-threatened-by-new-wave-of-violence https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/jul/22/im-not-alone-survivors-organise-against-sexual-violence-in-colombia https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/rebel-baby-boom-was-a-sign-of-hope-now-it-represents-uncertainty

This week we speak with the Washington Office on Latin America's leading Colombia human rights advocate, Gimena Sánchez. It was an excellent opportunity to learn more about Colombia's relationship with the United States, and how their relationship affects the political landscape here in Colombia. Additionally, Ms. Sánchez explains Colombia's Ethnic Chapter and its current status. For lots of content relating to Colombia, make sure you follow Ms. Sánchez on Twitter: https://twitter.com/gimena_wola Also, be sure to check out WOLA's website: https://www.wola.org/ Here is a link to the policy recommendations we discussed in relation to the peace accord: https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Policy%20recommendations%20-%20the%20Peace%20Accord%20-%20Rural%20reform%20and%20the%20drug%20chapter.pdf And don't forget to check out WOLA's page for 'Con Líderes Hay Paz': https://www.wola.org/2021/01/join-the-story-con-lideres-hay-paz/