UN Experts Warn Structural Racism Remains Deeply Entrenched in Colombia

“Structural, systemic and historical racism persist in Colombia,” the Expert Mechanism concluded.

A United Nations expert body has concluded that structural and systemic racism remains deeply embedded within Colombian society and law enforcement institutions, warning that people of African descent continue to face violence, exclusion, racial profiling, and severe discrimination despite official government recognition of the problem.

The findings were released following an eleven-day visit by the International Independent Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement, which travelled across Bogotá, Quibdó, Cartagena, and Cali to investigate racial justice conditions and interactions between Afro-descendant communities and state institutions.

The Mechanism said racism in Colombia is not limited to isolated acts of discrimination but instead functions as a historically rooted and normalized system that continues to shape policing, detention, economic opportunity, and access to justice.

"Structural, systemic and historical racism persist in Colombia," the Expert Mechanism concluded.

Despite acknowledging positive reforms undertaken by the Colombian government, the experts said communities of African descent continue to experience deep mistrust toward public institutions because of ongoing violence, exclusion, and impunity.

UN Experts Describe Racism as "Normalized and Invisible"

Expert member Víctor Rodríguez said the investigation revealed a pattern of institutional discrimination that has become deeply embedded within Colombian society and governance systems.

"Racism in Colombia is not a series of isolated incidents, but an entrenched system that produces and perpetuates inequalities," Rodríguez said.

"It is often unconscious, but it is normalized, naturalized and rendered invisible."

The findings come amid growing international scrutiny of racial inequality and police conduct across Latin America, where Afro-descendant populations have historically faced disproportionate poverty, displacement, violence, and social exclusion.

The UN experts noted that Colombia has taken some meaningful steps in recent years, including:

• Reforming police guidelines governing the management of social protests

• Prioritising dialogue over confrontation in crowd control operations

• Expanding human rights training for law enforcement officials

• Creating the Ministry of Equality and Equity

• Establishing a national observatory on racism

According to the Mechanism, revised protest management guidelines have contributed to a reduction in police use of force during demonstrations in recent years.

However, the experts stressed that much deeper structural reforms are still urgently needed.

Widespread Racial Profiling and Police Violence Identified

One of the report's most serious findings concerns the treatment of Afro-descendant youth by police and the criminal justice system.

The Mechanism said it received numerous consistent testimonies indicating that racial profiling is widespread across Colombia.

"Black youth are disproportionately stopped and searched based solely on racial stereotypes," the experts found.

According to the report, encounters between police and young Afro-Colombians frequently escalate into excessive force, including deadly violence.

The Mechanism warned that many of these cases go unpunished, contributing to a culture of impunity and reinforcing distrust between communities and law enforcement agencies.

The findings echo broader concerns raised internationally about discriminatory policing practices affecting Black communities.

UN Experts Horrified by Detention Conditions in Cartagena

The investigation also uncovered what the experts described as shocking and degrading detention conditions inside the Bellavista Temporary Detention Centre in Cartagena.

The Mechanism reported:

• Severe overcrowding

• Lack of sunlight and ventilation

• Insufficient food and drinking water

• Limited medical care

• Extended detention periods lasting months or years in facilities designed only for temporary holding

Rodríguez described the conditions in stark terms.

"The conditions I witnessed are inhumane and degrading. I have never seen worse conditions in my life. They strip away all dignity," he said.

The experts warned that the humanitarian situation in transitional detention centres requires urgent intervention from Colombian authorities.

Human rights organisations have long raised concerns about prison overcrowding and detention conditions across Colombia, particularly affecting marginalized populations.

Police Fines Allegedly Used as Tool of Social Exclusion

The Mechanism also expressed concern over the use of police fines and corrective sanctions, which it says disproportionately target Afro-descendant youth and contribute to cycles of poverty and criminalization.

According to the experts, these penalties often prevent young people from accessing formal employment opportunities, increasing vulnerability to economic exclusion and recruitment by illegal armed groups.

"These fines restrict access to future employment opportunities, pushing young people into informal economy or into association with illegal groups, thereby perpetuating cycles of poverty and criminalization," Rodríguez said.

The findings highlight concerns that policing practices may be reinforcing broader patterns of racial and economic inequality rather than addressing them.

Armed Groups Exploiting State Absence in Afro-Colombian Regions

The report also focused heavily on Colombia's Pacific coast, where many Afro-descendant communities continue to face violence from armed groups and criminal organisations.

The experts said the absence of effective state protection in these regions has created a power vacuum exploited by illegal armed actors.

According to the Mechanism, Afro-descendant communities remain exposed to:

• Forced recruitment of children and youth

• Killings

• Enforced disappearances

• Sexual violence

• Forced displacement

• Restrictions on movement

The report said many communities receive little or no effective institutional protection despite ongoing threats.

Human rights observers have repeatedly warned that Afro-Colombian populations are disproportionately affected by Colombia's decades-long armed conflict and related criminal violence.

UN Calls for Major Police and Justice Reforms

While acknowledging Colombia's willingness to confront structural racism publicly, the Mechanism called on the government to intensify reforms and ensure policies translate into measurable improvements in people's lives.

Among the experts' preliminary recommendations are:

• Structural reform of the National Police

• Transfer of police oversight to a civilian ministry

• Greater accountability for racial discrimination and police violence

• Urgent action to address detention centre conditions

• Stronger protections for Afro-descendant communities

The experts welcomed the Colombian government's cooperation during the mission and thanked civil society organisations, institutions, and affected communities for providing testimony and evidence.

The Mechanism has already shared its preliminary findings with Colombian authorities.

A full report will be formally presented to the UN Human Rights Council during its 63rd session in September and October 2026.