On the situation in Colombia after the wave of recent terrorist attacks

B100384/2025

European Parliament resolution on the situation in Colombia after the wave of recent terrorist attacks

(2025/2855(RSP))

The European Parliament,

–having regard to its previous resolutions on Colombia,

–having regard to the statement by the Spokesperson of the European External Action Service of 11 August 2025 following the death of Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay,

–having regard to the statement by the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States of 11 August 2025 on the passing of Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay,

–having regard to the statement by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres of 11 August 2025,

–having regard to the Colombian Constitution,

–having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.whereas on Thursday 21 August 2025, Colombia was shaken by two separate attacks that left at least 18 people dead and dozens more wounded; whereas in Cali, a car bomb was detonated near a military airbase, killing six people and injuring more than 60 others; whereas just hours before, a drone strike on a police helicopter claimed at least 12 lives in a rural area 150 km away from the north-west city of Medellín;

B.whereas the Colombian authorities attribute the violence to dissident factions of the demobilised FARC guerrilla group (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), underscoring the fragility of the country’s peace process ahead of next year’s elections;

C.whereas in this context, on 7 June 2025 Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay, a leading conservative voice in Colombia from the Centro Democrático opposition party and potential candidate for the 2026 presidential elections, was shot while addressing supporters at a campaign event in Bogotá, succumbing to his injuries on 11 August 2025, following two months in hospital; whereas the authorities arrested six people in connection with the attack, including the alleged killer – a boy of just 15 years who admitted to having been paid to assassinate him; whereas the authorities are still investigating the identities of the individuals who planned and paid for the assassination;

D.whereas Senator Uribe’s assassination has sent shockwaves through the population, demonstrating the rise in political polarisation, reaching levels of violence not seen in decades in the country;

E.whereas these events have once more highlighted the failure of President Petro’s ‘total peace’ policy, which sought to negotiate with all armed groups in the conflict-riven country; whereas on the contrary, this policy allowed armed groups to remobilise and grow through territorial expansion and military strengthening, leaving rural zones vulnerable to FARC dissidents and cartels; whereas President Petro, elected in 2022, considered this policy as one of the key components of his government programme; whereas President Petro has failed to deliver on his main electoral promises to overhaul pensions, the healthcare system and labour laws, and to reduce inequality; whereas, since coming to power, he has reshuffled his cabinet four times, nominating over 50 ministers;

F.whereas Colombia is a like-minded partner of the EU; whereas President Petro has shifted the country’s foreign policy, moving away from its historical allies;

G.whereas Chinese investment in the country has significantly grown; whereas on 14 May 2025, Colombia formally joined China’s Belt and Road Initiative;

H.whereas on 17 July 2025, Colombia and Venezuela signed a memorandum of understanding to create a ‘Zona Económica Binacional’, a specially designated binational economic zone – covering the Colombia-Venezuela border – that integrates production, commerce, social projects and infrastructure into strategic sectors;

I.whereas the Cártel de los Soles – which differs in structure from typical drug cartels with its system of corruption managed by Venezuelan military and political leaders, including Nicolás Maduro and Diosdado Cabello, who participate in drug trafficking and corruption using state institutions – operates in coordination with the ELN (National Liberation Army), and FARC dissident and other armed groups in the region, in particular along the Colombia-Venezuela border, facilitating cocaine shipments from Colombia, via Venezuela, to the United States and Europe; whereas the Cártel de los Soles has a significant impact on Colombia’s current crisis as it sustains drug-financed armed actors who are directly responsible for violence; whereas the US administration has launched a new military campaign against drug cartels;

J.whereas on 25 July 2025, the United States designated the Cártel de los Soles a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group; whereas several Latin American countries have followed suit;

K.whereas President Petro has publicly denied the existence of the Cártel de los Soles;

L.whereas according to the latest UN data, cocaine production in Colombia has reached record levels under the current government, with ripple effects across Latin America, the United States and Europe;

M.whereas the crisis in Colombia could have serious consequences for the stability of the whole region;

1.Pays tribute to Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay and his legacy as a defender of democratic values, and expresses its sincere condolences to his family and to the people of Colombia;

2.Condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the assassination of Senator Uribe; underlines that this serious attack also represents an attack on democracy; invites the Colombian authorities to shed full light on the responsibilities and to swiftly arrest and prosecute all those involved in Uribe’s brutal assassination;

3.Stresses that Uribe’s assassination is not an isolated tragedy, but part of a wider climate of political intimidation and violence in Colombia; reiterates its support for all Colombians who reject violence and demand a future free from corruption and criminal collusion;

4.Strongly condemns the recent terrorist attacks in the country and expresses its sincere condolences to the relatives of the victims; deplores the current climate of fear in the country and calls on the Colombian authorities to ensure safety for all citizens, to investigate without political interference and prosecute perpetrators, to dismantle criminal networks and to fight impunity;

5.Stresses the importance of rejecting political violence and avoiding rhetoric and actions that deepen polarisation in order to ensure that the 2026 elections are free and fair, and to uphold the constitutional and universal rights of Colombian citizens; underlines the need to immediately reinforce protective measures for political candidates – especially during campaign events – so as to avoid breaches such as those surrounding Uribe’s assassination;

6.Highlights that the failure of President Petro’s ‘total peace’ policy created a strategic window of opportunity for armed groups to remobilise and grow; is extremely concerned about the situation in the country, as a weakened state – with escalating violence and political uncertainty – risks becoming an even greater hub for drug trafficking, jeopardising democratic stability in one of Latin America’s key economies;

7.Underlines that without directly addressing the role of the Cártel de los Soles and the complicity of Venezuelan state actors in facilitating drug trafficking and providing sanctuary to armed groups, Colombia’s internal security, peacebuilding and democratic efforts will remain severely undermined; urges the Colombian authorities to investigate cartel financing and prosecute collaborators within Colombia, in particular by following and disrupting the transnational financial flows used by cartels that move through banks, gold mining and front companies, to modernise surveillance and intensify counter-drug operations, and to enhance regional cooperation and shared intelligence mechanisms; welcomes concrete contributions from EU Member States in this regard, such as the Italian ‘Falcone-Borsellino’ initiative, which is designed to help countries in Latin America and the Caribbean combat transnational organised crime, providing technical support and assistance, training and good practice in the fields of justice and security;

8.Calls for the EU and other international partners, and regional organisations, to support Colombia in countering the influence of the Cártel de los Soles; urges them to strengthen sanctions against individuals, including Nicolás Maduro and Diosdado Cabello, and networks involved in state-backed trafficking;

9.Welcomes the decision by the United States and several Latin American countries to designate the Cártel de los Soles a terrorist organisation; calls for the Cártel de los Soles to be added to the EU’s list of terrorist organisations;

10.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Secretary General of the Organization of American States, the UN Secretary-General and the Colombian Government.