Colombia: Cut in USAID funding slows down investigation into murders and disappearances

In Colombia, the cutting of funding from the US development organization USAID is specifically leading to a slowdown in the investigation of murders and disappearances. The example of the Colombian rubbish dump “Escombrera” in the Comuna 13 district on the outskirts of Medellín illustrates this very clearly. Between 1997 and 2003, the military, in cooperation with paramilitary groups, carried out numerous operations here. This resulted in around 400 cases of forced disappearances; the bodies of these people are believed to be buried under the rubbish dump. Excavations have been underway here since mid-2024. In December 2024, the first five bodies were found, two of which have been identified so far. Due to the cancellation of USAID funding, there are now insufficient funds for further excavations. We highly recommend Tininiska Zanger Montoya's podcast, which provides background information on the topic. It is available in German and Spanish at Nachrichtenpool Lateinamerika.