More than 27,000 displaced in Colombia violence this year

Increase in displacement comes amid threats, murders and violence between armed groups, human rights ombudsman says.

More than 27,000 people have been displaced in Colombia in the first quarter of 2021, the country’s human rights ombudsman said, as the South American nation grapples with a surge of violence. People have been forced from their homes amid threats, murders, forced recruitment by armed gangs and clashes between armed groups in lawless areas, the ombudsman said on Monday. Displacement in the first quarter of 2021 jumped by 177 percent compared to the same period last year.