In 2025, kidnappings in Colombia nearly doubled compared to 2024, reaching levels unseen in two decades, according to an editorial published in Cali. This alarming surge signals a deterioration in public security and state control across various regions of the country.
The editorial, published on January 21, 2026, in the Cali-based newspaper Occidente, notes that kidnappings have risen steadily since 2022, with a dramatic jump in 2025. Figures show a near-doubling of cases from the previous year, particularly in extortive kidnappings, linked to criminal organizations gaining operational strength and impunity.
This trend is tied to armed groups controlling territories and using kidnappings for funding and social control. The piece recalls that Colombia had previously curbed this crime through military pressure, intelligence, and institutional coordination, but those efforts appear to have waned.
The increase is connected to President Gustavo Petro's 'total peace' policy, under which bilateral ceasefires have effectively been unilateral, allowing illegal armed groups to expand, dispute territories, bolster illicit economies, and commit crimes like kidnappings, massacres, and extortion. This undermines trust in the state and fosters widespread fear.
The editorial calls on the next president to adopt a clear, consistent security policy focused on citizen protection and direct confrontation of all criminal organizations, without exceptions or idealism.
