Item 4: General Debate

Speaker: Claire Denman

Thank you Mr President,

On 29 December 2024 armed gunmen shot and killed Pastor Marlon Lora, his wife Yurlay Rincón and their daughter Ángela whilst they were having lunch after attending a religious service in Aguachica, Colombia. 

The pastor’s son Santiago was also shot and died from his injuries days later. 

On 8 January, Protestant Christian church leader Iván García was shot dead as he, his 14-year-old stepdaughter and six other people were walking home after participating in a Bible study in the Banana Cultivation Zone of Magdalena Department. 

These incidents highlight the clear vulnerabilities faced by religious leaders in Colombia. Other pastors have also reported being threatened by individuals believed to be affiliated with illegal armed and criminal groups that view religious leaders as a threat to their authority. 

CSW is therefore concerned by the decision of the Colombian government to remove religious leaders from the country’s National Protection System. 

We call on Colombia to recognise and respond to the specific risks faced by religious leaders who play a key role in peace-making across the country, prioritising their safety and ensuring that justice for historic violations is served. 

CSW is similarly concerned for the safety of religious leaders in Mexico who are often the target of organised criminal groups that operate with impunity. 

In October, Catholic priest Marcelo Pérez Pérez was shot and killed after officiating mass in San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas. 

We continue to call on the Mexican government to ensure that Father Pérez’s killers are brought to justice, and to urgently and effectively address the various factors that have made Mexico one of the most dangerous countries in the world for religious leaders. 

Thank you.