Colombian Caravana
Delegations
The Colombian Caravana was founded in 2008 after the National Colombian Association of Human Rights Lawyers (ACADEHUM) asked the international legal community to develop and implement an international program of support for human rights lawyers working in Colombia. The Colombia Caravana UK Lawyers’ Group is now at the centre of an international network of jurists offering support to lawyers and other legal professionals in Colombia.
Since the Caravana was founded in 2008, we have organised seven biannual high-level delegations to Colombia, at the request of ACADEHUM, CAJAR, and our main partners in the field. The first delegation in August 2008 consisted of 70 lawyers from Europe and the Americas.
These trips have proved to be essential opportunities to show concrete support for at-risk Colombian human rights lawyers and other defenders, and to ensure that the Caravana’s ongoing solidarity work after the trip is informed, focused, and has a clear, well-defined direction.
The purpose of the delegations is:
- to prevent/reduce threats against lawyers and other defenders and the communities they work with by shining a spotlight on their work and making the Colombian authorities aware of the international concern;
- to identify and through first-hand accounts and open discussion, gather information on the current challenges facing Colombian human rights lawyers in several regions of the country, with special attention to challenges posed by the transitional justice process.
- to hold workshops on relevant subjects aiming to share expertise and information.
- to influence the government by engaging in dialogue with officials from relevant departments and raising Colombian partners’ concerns, to encourage these departments to take action on them.
- to use the information gathered to compile a report detailing the findings of the mission and including a series of recommendations for future action on the part of both the Colombian authorities and the international community.
- to draw up a framework with Colombian lawyers for future collaboration, support, and exchange.
Our delegations, year by year
A Decade On: Ten Years of Transition and the Continuing Struggle for Justice in Colombia
Despite President Gustavo Petro’s “total peace” strategy, 2025 was marked by one of the worst humanitarian tolls in a decade (Human Rights Watch 2026).
The Colombian Caravana-UK Group, in partnership with Colombian human rights lawyers and defenders, announced the Ninth International Caravana of Jurists, taking place from 21st to 30th August 2026. This pivotal event aims to shed light on the pressing human rights issues faced by Colombia and offers a platform for dialogue, advocacy, and action.
About the Caravana – The Caravana serves as the nexus for delegates eager to engage with the human rights landscape in Colombia. This edition offers:
- Transition Ten Years On: Reflecting on a decade of transitional (in)justice.
- Colombia’s Current Landscape: Analysing ongoing issues as the nation strives towards peace, yet continues to grapple with widespread violence affecting rural and marginalised communities, including Indigenous and Afro-Colombian territories.
- Gender Dynamics: Addressing the crucial role of women in peacebuilding while tackling obstacles such as gender-based violence and entrenched societal norms.
- Ethnic Dynamics: Recognizing the specific challenges faced by Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities, such as violence, forced recruitment, displacement, and discrimination.
- Everyday Peace: Local approaches to unarmed civilian protection in the absence of institutional guarantees.
Delegation Approach & Objectives – The Ninth Delegation is committed to:
- Understanding the intricate challenges faced by human rights lawyers and defenders.
- Spotlighting the gender and ethnic dynamics intertwined with the escalating violence.
- Engaging in first-hand interviews, dialogues, and collaborations to gain insights and formulate actionable recommendations.
- Advocating for policy reforms, legislative amendments, and structural changes to ensure justice, protect vulnerable populations, and address gender-based violence and corporate accountability.
- Do No Harm: Embody and promoting ethical forms of engagement with local communities, actively mitigating against revictimisation.
Join us in amplifying the voices of those impacted by these challenges, fostering international solidarity, and paving the way for a just and enduring peace in Colombia.
For applications, nominations, or further details, please see our 2026 Delegation Information Guide or contact the Caravana coordinator at colombian.caravana@gmail.com.
The 8th International Delegation to Colombia
The delegation brought together 22 participants from across Europe and the Americas, representing 9 international organisations, and working in partnership with 7 Colombian grassroots organisations.
Over the course of the visit, the delegation met with communities, lawyers, and human rights and environmental defenders in five regions most affected by the ongoing conflict. It was an immense experience of listening: gathering the voices of victims facing an intensification of violence, while also witnessing the strength and resistance of their struggles.
These encounters deepened our understanding of the barriers to justice in Colombia, and strengthened the international solidarity that sustains the work for truth, justice, and peace.
The VII International Caravana of Jurists to Colombia
The theme of the VII International Caravana of Jurists was judicial independence, with a focus on the judiciary’s role in combatting impunity and providing access to justice for victims and human rights lawyers and defenders. The Caravana was composed of 18 jurists and defenders from Canada, France, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. During the Caravana, participating jurists held meetings with lawyers, human rights organisations, local authorities and justice operators in Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Cali, Cartagena and Cúcuta.
Colombia: Seeking justice, building peace and post-conflict illusion
Report of the Sixth International Caravana of Jurists to Colombia – March 2019.
The Fifth International Caravana of Jurists to Colombia – August 2016
The International Caravan of Jurists made its fourth biennial visit to Colombia from 23rd to 31st August 2014. Sixty-eight members from 12 countries, including judges, barristers, solicitors, legal academics and law students, visited eight cities in seven departments of Colombia: Bogotá (Cundinamarca), Bucaramanga (Santander), Buenaventura and Cali (Valle del Cauca), Cartagena (Bolivar), Medellin (Antioquia), Pasto (Nariño) and Santa Marta (Magdalena). At both the national and regional level we met human rights lawyers and defenders, victims of human rights violations and state officials.
English reportInforme en españolJudges’ reportMore about 2014
In August 2012 the 3rd international delegation of the Caravana visited Colombia with 42 Lawyers and judges from Canada, Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain and the UK. The delegation met with ACADEHUM to monitor and report again on the situation of Colombian lawyers and judges in six high risk regions of the country.
Protecting Access to Justice (English)En españolJudges at RiskMore about 2012
The second International Caravana. Report: “The Legal Profession Still Under Attack”.
The first International Caravana, “Without lawyers there is no justice. Sin abogados no hay justicia”. The first delegation in August 2008 consisted of 70 lawyers from Europe and the Americas.