Photo: The Indigenous Summit and Social Mobilization for Life.

The Peace Brigades International accompanied Association for Social Research and Action (Nomadesc) has posted on social media:

“The Indigenous Summit for Life concludes with a massive mobilization and gathering in Santander de Quilichao, where lawyer Delaespriella has been summoned for a direct dialogue on November 14. The Summit declares to the nation and the international community that its resolutions include demanding that the current government annul the decree regarding social protest and withdraw the Ministry of the Interior’s draft proposal—which endangers the lives, safety, and freedom of the Indigenous Guard—as well as rejecting modifications to the prior consultation process and the advancement of extractive projects in ancestral territories. Santander de Quilichao, October 14, 2026. #Cauca #October14 #SocialProtest”

The video with the social media post says:

“We indigenous people and the social sectors are facing the necessity to generate our voice of resistance, our voice of protest. This government intends to dismantle our rights, it intends to expel us from our territories, The indigenous peoples say to society, to the world, we are the caretakers of oxygen and water for all, for humanity, and we say to this president that we are going to defend our territories.

The summit said that in one month we had to get to the place where the president of the republic was to wait, and we made it clear that we were not pressuring him. It follows a route of open dialogue, we are not violating the constitution, but on the contrary, if we reject the social decree and protest, we will not accept that as social organisations and indigenous peoples.”

The Indigenous Guard

Intercontinental Cry has explained: “Indigenous guards are elected by their communities and mandated to protect Indigenous lives and territory without the use of arms. Throughout both the civil war and the undeclared battle for territory and resources that has followed it–and carrying only the staffs that serve as their mandate of office.”

The Sur International Journal on Human Rights has also noted: “The Indigenous Guard is a collective and voluntary effort to defend life through the administration of their own law,2 peaceful resistance, the use of indigenous legislation, the defence of human rights and the promotion of peace in territories marked by violence.”

De la Espriella decree

On October 1, Prensa Latina reported: “The Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca (CRIC) today rejected a draft decree [that reforms Decree 1066 of 2015] of the National Government of Colombia whose purpose would be the dismantling of the Indigenous Guard, according to that organization. …[CRIC] pointed out that the existence of this mechanism does not derive from the recognition, authorization or regulation of the State, but from the mandate of the communities and traditional authorities, as part of their organizational processes and self-government.”

Quatroges also explains: “For the CRIC, a national information system administered from Bogotá could change the relationship between communities and public institutions. The organization warns that the data collected could facilitate mechanisms for monitoring, stigmatization, and prosecution of people engaged in territorial defense, particularly in regions where illegal armed organizations persist.”

Accompaniment

Peace Brigades International has accompanied Nomadesc since 2011 and its president Berenice Celeita since 1999.

Photo: In May 2026, PBI-Colombia accompanied dhColombia at the hearings in the case of Castillo de la Ossa who was killed by the Esmad.

The Madrid-based digital newspaper Demócrata reports: “The Colombian Executive has initiated a new reorganization of the National Police by which the former Dialogue and Order Maintenance Unit (UNDMO), created during the mandate of former president Gustavo Petro, will be replaced by another structure with a different name and will again incorporate a riot squad to act in contexts of social protest.”

The article further explains: “The UNDMO will be replaced by the National Anti-Riot Unit (UNADI), which in turn will incorporate the Mobile Anti-Riot Squads (ESMAD), thus recovering the name and the acronym that were used before the reforms promoted by Petro’s Government (2022-2026).”

Infobae also now reports: “The National Police changed the name of the Unit for Dialogue and Maintenance of Order (Undmo). It will now be called the National Anti-Riot Unit (UNADI). …According to the document issued by the Police, the unit will have the following internal organizational structure: Subcommand of the National Anti-Riot Unit (Sunad); Operational Monitoring Group (Gusop); Regional Riot Control (Radis); Mobile Anti-Riot Squad (Esmad). …[Esmad] is a dependency of the Radis. It is in charge of carrying out operational activities in the attention to scenarios of agglomeration of people and alteration of public order that may affect the coexistence and security of citizens, such as ‘riots, riots, riots and other behaviors.’”

And El Nuevo Dia comments: “The return of the Esmad denomination reopens the debate on the management of social protest in Colombia, because the 2022 change had given priority to the concept of dialogue and maintenance of order.”

The ESMAD

In December 2019, Justice for Colombia noted: “At least 34 people have been killed by Colombia’s Mobile Anti-Disturbance Squadron (ESMAD) since it was created 20 years ago, according to new findings published by the Colombian NGO Temblores.”

By May 2021, Reuters, reporting on 40 deaths after two weeks of national strike protests, reported: “The police and its ESMAD riot squad are presumed responsible for 11 killings, the ombudsman has previously said.”

PBI accompaniment

Peace Brigades International has accompanied activities, demands for justice, and memorials related to people killed by the Esmad including Castillo de la Ossa, Kevin Anthony Agudelo, Michael Andrés Aranda Perez and Harold Antonio Rodríguez, Brayan Niño, Nicolas Neira and Dilan Cruz.

The call to dismantle the ESMAD

Several PBI accompanied organizations – including dhColombia, the Association for Social Research and Action (Nomadesc), the Committee in Solidarity with Political Prisoners (CSPP), and the Regional Corporation for the Defence of Human Rights (Credhos) – had previously called for the ESMAD to be dismantled.

In June 2023, the Petro government changed the name of the ESMAD to the Dialogue and Order Maintenance Unit (UNDMO). At least three PBI accompanied organizations – including the CSPP, the José Alvear Restrepo Lawyers Collective (CCAJAR), and the Corporation for Judicial Liberty (CJL) – stated that this reform was insufficient.

Canadian unions supported this call

In May 2021, the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) supported the call for the dismantling of the ESMAD.

The CLC statement highlighted: “Canadian unions condemn this violence and support the legitimate demands of the Colombian people for: The dismantling of the Colombian national police riot control unit (known by its Spanish acronym ESMAD).”

The demand to Canada to stop equipping the police

PBI-Colombia has raised the issue of police violence with Canadian Embassy representatives several times, including on August 4, November 29, December 1, 2021. At that December 1, 2021, meeting, Nomadesc requested guarantees that Canada does not assist the Colombian police with equipment.

We continue to follow this.

Further reading: Credhos and CSPP raise concerns about the right to protest in Colombia with the implementation of Decree 1525 (PBI-Canada, October 15, 2026).

Photo: ASCAMCAT took part in mobilizations held in Cúcuta, Ocaña, and Pamplona on October 14, 2026.

Tens of thousands of trade union members, social movement activists, community members, students, and Indigenous peoples took part in a massive opposition protest across Colombia on October 14, 2026.

The Regional Corporation for the Defence of Human Rights (Credhos), the Association for Social Research and Action (Nomadesc), the Humanitarian Action Corporation for Coexistence and Peace in Northeast Antioquia (Cahucopana), and the Catatumbo Peasant Organization (Ascamcat) were among those who took to the streets.

Cahucopana, Nomadesc and Ascamcat are physically accompanied by PBI-Colombia. Credhos and the CSPP are strategic allied organizations.

Photo: The placard at the march in Cali says: “Health for the people and dignity for the worker”. Photo by Nomadesc.

Credhos on Decree 003

On October 9, 2026, Ivan Madero Vergel, the president of the Regional Corporation for the Defence of Human Rights (Credhos), stated at a press conference: “We are going to make use of this day of October 14 of national mobilization, the right to the Decree 003 of 2021. [We ask] the governments, the mayors, especially the mayor of Barrancabermeja and the mayors of the region of the Magdalena Medio to respect the right to social protest enshrined in the decree 003 of 2021.”

Madero Vergel highlighted: “[Decree 003] establishes in its article 12 the coordination of the districts, of the municipalities, of the mayors establish a coordination to regulate the use of the public force the presence of the police authorities and the army in the social protest but also the interlocution from the social movement and the movement of the social protest [to observe] the use of the force of the police and the army and the performance of themselves in the social protest.”

Video still: Madero Vergel speaks at press conference, October 9, 2026.

What is Decree 003?

Decree 003 was passed on January 5, 2021, by the government of President Iván Duque after nationwide strikes and protests began on November 21, 2019, and just prior to the National Strike that began on April 28, 2021.

The full text of Decree 003 can be read here.

The provisions of Decree 003 include: “Law enforcement officials involved in the monitoring of assemblies should respect and ensure the exercise of the fundamental rights of organizers and participants, while protecting journalists, observers, medical personnel and other members of the public, as well as public and private property, from harm. The basic approach of the authorities should, where necessary, be to try to facilitate peaceful assemblies.”

What is Decree 1525?

On Tuesday October 13, the day before major protests across Colombia, President Abelardo de la Espriella signed Decree 1525.

The full text of Decree 1525 can be read here.

Under Decree 1525 authorities must seek dialogue with the demonstrators, but this is not “a prerequisite that conditions, suspends or postpones the intervention actions directed individually against those who carry out acts of violence.”

“Who sets limits on protest?” – CSPP

On October 9, the Committee for Solidarity with Political Prisoners (CSPP) posted on social media: “Who sets limits on protest? The reform to Decree 003 of 2021 raises concerns regarding dialogue, police intervention, and the participation of human rights organizations. Managing disruptions cannot be an excuse to limit mobilization. Preventing risks cannot turn into surveillance or the stigmatization of protesters. Protest is a right. Defending it means defending the ability to make demands, speak out against wrongs, and challenge the status quo.”

The 4-minute video alongside this text highlights: “It hinders the participation of … human rights organisations in the PMU [Unified Command Post, a temporary inter-institutional coordination space activated before and during public demonstrations]. The proposal contemplates the participation of economic actors, private actors, and other actors while limiting the participation of human rights organisations and civil society.”

Undmo or Esmad?

Infobae reports that at the protests that took place on October 14, “the Undmo [the Dialogue and Public Order Maintenance Unit] intervened on six occasions: two of them in Bogotá, two in Ibagué and one in Popayán and Medellín respectively…”

The Undmo is the rebranded name for the controversial Mobile Anti-Disturbance Squadron (Esmad). The government of President Gustavo Petro renamed the Esmad to the Undmo in August 2022 following the National Strike of 2021.

President de la Espriella appears to still call the unit the Esmad.

On October 15, de la Espriella commented: “Small revolts; as soon as the Esmad arrived, they were all lost. When they feel the forcefulness of the State, they know that we are going to face them with determination.”

Alert on Undmo intervention

The Committee for Solidarity with Political Prisoners (CSPP) is affiliated with the Defend Liberty Campaign.

Yesterday the Defend Liberty Campaign posted on social media: “URGENT IBAGUÉ. October 14, 2026. We are issuing an alert regarding the intervention of the Dialogue and Order Maintenance Unit (UNDMO) during the social protest taking place in Ibagué. We demand that the National Police respect and guarantee the right to social protest, refrain from the arbitrary or disproportionate use of force, and protect the lives and physical integrity of the protesters. Videos circulating on social media show the Police detaining protesters. We demand that their lives and personal integrity be respected and that their rights be fully guaranteed.”

We continue to follow this.

Video still from Defender la Libertad.