IACHR publishes friendly settlement agreements concerning Colombia

December 18, 2025

Washington, DC—The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) announced that it has published five friendly settlement agreements between the Colombian State and petitioners concerning human rights violations related to deprivation of freedom, killings, extrajudicial executions, and abuses committed by illegal armed actors. These agreements reflect the parties’ joint commitment to advance justice and achieve comprehensive reparations.

The key cases include Case 15.172, Gloria Lara and children, concerning the kidnapping and killing of Gloria Lara de Echeverri, a political activist and public official. The State publicly acknowledged its responsibility for failing to exercise due diligence in investigating the events, which prevented clarification of the facts and the punishment of those responsible. A ceremony held at Bogotá’s Planetarium included the screening of a documentary honoring the victim’s memory and work produced by her daughter, Luz María Echeverri Lara.

The friendly settlement agreement included high-impact measures, such as the design of a training and capacity-building program for the judiciary and the organization of an event to acknowledge the founders of the Gloria Lara neighborhood, established in honor of her legacy in the field of social organization and community action groups in Colombia.

Another emblematic case is Case 11.990B, Jhon Jairo Cabarique, which concerns the extrajudicial execution of Jhon Jairo Cabarique by agents of the Colombian State when he was a child, and the lack of investigation and punishment of those responsible.

As a measure of nonrepetition, the State committed to carrying out various activities to develop a rights mapping initiative, which will serve as an input to design public policies aimed at preventing sexual violence against children and the recruitment, use, and stigmatization of children and young people in the municipality of Saravena. The State also publicly acknowledged its international responsibility and apologized to the victim’s family, while also taking on commitments related to justice, health care, compensation, and the publication of the Article 49 Report.

Case 15.058B, Jesús Nazareno Rivera García and others, concerns the deprivation of freedom, ill-treatment, and extrajudicial execution of a trade union activist and other individuals by members of the Colombian Army. During the ceremony acknowledging international responsibility, the State screened a tribute video honoring Jesús Nazareno Rivero García, presented his family with a commemorative plaque, and offered a butterfly chrysalis as a symbol of memory and transformation from suffering to hope. The friendly settlement agreement also included measures of satisfaction, such as the publication of the Article 49 Report, and compensation for the victim’s relatives.

Case 13.681, Luis Mariano Pertuz Lara and family, relates to the deprivation of freedom and subsequent killing of Luis Mariano Pertuz Lara by members of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC).

The State acknowledged its international responsibility for failing to exercise due diligence in investigating the events, which prevented clarification and accountability and caused prolonged suffering and anguish for the family. During the recognition ceremony, the State presented the family with a commemorative plaque and committed to measures of compensation and rehabilitation, among other efforts.

Finally, Petition 679-19, Ricardo Manuel Blanquet León and family, concerns the extrajudicial execution and subsequent disappearance of Ricardo Manuel Blanquet León, and the lack of judicial clarification of the facts. The State acknowledged its international responsibility through a public apology and committed to publishing the friendly settlement agreement as a measure of nonrepetition, providing financial compensation to the family, and establishing an interinstitutional action plan to search for his remains, including the creation of regular working groups to follow up on the case.

The IACHR values the efforts of the parties to reach friendly settlement agreements that foster a culture of peace and rebuild the social fabric. These agreements constitute a step toward restorative justice and access to comprehensive reparations for victims and their families. The IACHR welcomes the Colombian State’s willingness to advance these and other cases through the friendly settlement mechanism as a State policy, and confirms it will continue to support these processes until all commitments are fulfilled.

The IACHR is a principal and autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), whose mandate stems from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has the mandate to promote the observance and defense of human rights in the region and acts as an advisory body to the OAS on the matter. The IACHR is made up of seven independent members who are elected by the OAS General Assembly in their personal capacity, and do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 275/25

11:11 AM