Colombia backtracks on public policy for the LGBTIQ+ population

Activist Wilson Castañeda, president of the NGO Caribe Afirmativo, warned in a post on EL PAÍS América Colombia's Instagram account that the country's recent institutional direction erases a decade of progress on rights and social protection for the LGBTIQ+ population.

According to information published by the outlet, the activist said that consolidating these policies took nearly ten years of joint work with successive national administrations, until Colombia earned a prominent place in international cooperation, where it shared its experience in affirmative action.

This institutional setback comes alongside a legislative debate, driven by political sectors with government backing, aimed at banning gender-affirming medical treatments for minors, a fundamental right recognized by the Constitutional Court in 2022.

The loss of these spaces of representation and the discussion of regulatory restrictions put the protection of vulnerable populations at risk and nullify the international recognition the country had built in the areas of inclusion and sexual diversity.