A document published by the 32nd Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia — Army of the People (FARC-EP) in July this year illustrates the degree of repression the guerrilla group exercises over populations under its control, including strict restrictions on religious freedom.
It states that ‘evangelical chapels may only be built in municipal capitals’ and ‘Pastors and priests will only hold their masses in the churches in the municipal capitals’. According to El Colombiano, priests and pastors in the heavily rural Putumayo region who have attempted to conduct ministry outside the municipal capitals have come under threat or been forced to flee.
The FARC-EP, a left wing guerrilla group, has targeted religious groups and leaders since its inception and is believed to be responsible for assassinations of hundreds of church leaders over the past 50 years.
A report published by the Colombian Council of Evangelical Churches Commission for Restoration, Life and Peace compiled and analysed ten years of work, documenting human rights violations committed against Protestant Christians. The report found that, over the past decade, the FARC-EP was responsible for 184 cases of religious intolerance.
