A 73% increase in homicides in Putumayo is reported during the first nine months of 2026
Official figures from the Ministry of Defense reveal a 73% increase in homicides registered in the department of Putumayo between January and September 2026, compared to the same period of the previous year. This increase coincides with a resurgence of community confinement and the assassination of social leaders in the Amazon region.
According to official data, the department recorded 114 homicides in the first nine months of 2026, compared to the 66 cases reported in the same period of 2025. This percentage variation positions the region among those most affected by the increase in armed violence in the country.
Social organizations and local leaders have denounced that the increase in violence is linked to territorial disputes between the Border Commands and dissident structures for the control of illicit economies and illegal mining. Recent cases include the homicides of female leader Nancy Espinel in Puerto Guzmán and community leader Gabriel Pacheco in Villagarzón.
Likewise, humanitarian monitoring reports place Putumayo as the third department with the highest number of confined population between January and September 2026, evidencing the restrictions on mobility imposed by illegal armed actors following the end of dialogue processes.
- The Ministry of Defense recorded 114 homicides in Putumayo between January and September 2026.
- The year-on-year increase represents a 73% increase compared to the same period in 2025.
- Putumayo ranked as the third department with the highest confined population in the country during the first nine months of the year.
- The territorial dispute between illegal armed groups severely affects the security of rural communities and social leaders.
Corroborates: A 73% increase in homicides in Putumayo is reported during the first nine months of 2026