A/HRC/43/3/Add.3 7. According to the police, the national homicide rate in 2019 was 25 per 100,000 persons, which reflects an endemic level of violence. 5 OHCHR recorded 36 massacres, 6 involving 133 deaths, the highest number that it had recorded since 2014. The departments most affected were Antioquia, Cauca and Norte de Santander, where ongoing disputes to control illicit economies were a major cause of this violence. 8. The National Liberation Army (ELN) operated mainly in Antioquia, Arauca, Cauca, Chocó, Nariño and Norte de Santander, persistently breaching international humanitarian law. On 17 January, ELN perpetrated an attack with improvised explosive devices against a police academy in Bogotá, killing 22 persons and triggering the breakdown of dialogue between the Government and ELN. The United Nations in Colombia condemned this attack.7 9. Other violent groups continued to perpetrate threats, homicides and other serious human rights abuses, and to cause displacement. OHCHR observations on the criteria of intensity and organization8 indicate that such groups, for example the Popular Liberation Army (EPL) in Cauca and Norte de Santander, and groups composed of former members of FARC-EP in Caquetá, Meta and Guaviare, would not currently be categorized as armed groups under international humanitarian law. 10. Criminal groups, such as the Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia (also known as the Clan del Golfo), the Caparros and the Mafia, and transnational criminal organizations, employed extreme violence in disputes over the control of illicit economies. These groups operated mainly in Antioquia, Cauca, Chocó, Córdoba, Guainía, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Putumayo and Valle del Cauca. 11. Efforts to establish a comprehensive State presence, particularly of civilian authorities, including the Office of the Attorney General and the police, have been insufficient, especially in rural areas. The five strategic zones for comprehensive intervention, established by the Government through Decree 2278 of 2019, were created to address this vacuum. However, OHCHR observed that State presence in these areas remained predominantly military and that the pace of establishing a stronger presence of civilian authorities was slow. 12. On 27 October, regional elections were held to elect departmental governors and assemblies and municipal mayors and councils. During the electoral process, OHCHR documented the killing of seven candidates. Nonetheless, the election day was peaceful compared to previous regional elections. Political parties and social movements other than the currently governing coalition won several important positions, including the mayor’s offices in Bogotá and Medellín. 13. OHCHR observed that women and LGBTI persons continued to face difficulties in participating in electoral processes. Women accounted for 37.2 per cent of the candidates, 9 and 2 women were elected as governors (6.2 per cent) and 132 as mayors (12 per cent), compared to 5 and 134 respectively in 2015.10 LGBTI persons accounted for only 0.06 per cent of the candidates.11 Nevertheless, the number of LGBTI persons elected increased to 22 (from 6 in 2015) and includes the mayor of Bogotá. 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 The World Health Organization considers that there is endemic violence when the homicide rate is above 10 per 100,000 inhabitants. A massacre is said to occur when three or more persons are killed in the same incident (at the same place and time) by the same alleged perpetrators. See https://nacionesunidas.org.co/noticias/las-naciones-unidas-en-colombia-repudian-atentadocontra-la-escuela-de-cadetes-de-policia-general-santander/. International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, Prosecutor v. Boškoski and Tarčulovski, Case IT04-82-T, Judgment (Court of First Instance) of 10 July 2008, paras. 199–203; and International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, Prosecutor v. Haradinaj, Balaj and Brahimaj, Case IT-04-84-T, Judgment (Court of First Instance) of 3 April 2008, para. 49. See https://mlr.vicepresidencia.gov.co/Paginas/prensa/2019/Con-mas-mujeres-elegidas-a-cargospublicos-se-fortalece-la-democracia-Vicepresidenta.aspx. See https://www.registraduria.gov.co/IMG/pdf/boletin_rnec_-_onum.pdf. Further information is available from Caribe Afirmativo on the page “Candidatos abiertamente LGBTI de cara a las próximas elecciones regionals” available at https://caribeafirmativo.lgbt/candidatos-abiertamente-lgbti-cara-las-proximas-elecciones-regionales/. 3