Human Rights and Freedom in Colombia

https://www.humantruth.info/colombia_human_rights_and_freedom.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2018

#Colombia #colombia_homosexuality #homosexuality

Colombia Republic of Colombia [Country Profile Page]
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	67th best
Location	South America, The Americas
Population	49.7m₁
Life Expectancy	72.83yrs (2017)₂

Colombia does relatively well in ensuring human rights and freedom, compared to many other countries. Colombia does better than average in terms of LGBT equality in the 2020s₃, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₄ (but bad for The Americas), freethought₅, its nominal commitment to Human Rights₆, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₇ (but one of the lowest in The Americas) and in its average Freedom in the World rating. Since 2015 it has removed many artificial barriers to LGBT equality in areas of marriage and adoption₁₃; it is just the 4th country in South America to legalize same-sex marriage₁₄. Colombia still has work to do. Colombia does worse than average in terms of its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₈ (one of the worst in The Americas), opposing gender inequality₉, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₁₀ (amongst the worst in The Americas), supporting press freedom₁₁ and in combatting modern slavery₁₂. Human rights defenders, trade unionists, journalists, indigenous and Afro-Colombian leaders, and other community activists face death threats and violence, mostly from guerrillas and successor groups. Perpetrators of these abuses are rarely held accountable"₁₃. Progress is always going to be difficult in a country where the richest 1% hold 20% of the country's entire income₁₅.

1. Colombia's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#colombia #equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance #venezuela

Compared to The Americas (2025)₁₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₆
1	Canada	16.7
2	Uruguay	31.2
3	Costa Rica	38.8
	...
19	Jamaica	78.8
20	Honduras	79.4
21	Dominican Rep.	79.7
22	Colombia	80.7
23	Paraguay	83.7
24	St Vincent & Grenadines	84.8
25	Belize	86.3
26	St Lucia	90.3
27	Guyana	91.5
	The Americas Avg	71.80
q=35.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₆
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
72	Hong Kong	79.6
73	Dominican Rep.	79.7
74	Mongolia	80.4
75	Colombia	80.7
76	Georgia	81.4
77	Kiribati	81.6
78	Philippines	81.7
79	Seychelles	82.0
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₁₇. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₁₇.

31 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₇, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₁₇.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Colombia stated:

“Human rights defenders continued to face attacks, threats and harassment because of their work; defenders of the land, territory and environment were particularly at risk. Killings and threats targeting former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia �€“ Army of the People (FARC-EP) combatants persisted. Attacks on media workers and outlets continued, threatening freedom of expression. Excessive and unnecessary use of force by state officials was reported. Indigenous leaders and defenders were attacked and killed and, in areas where armed opposition groups continued to operate, Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities were forcibly displaced and some faced humanitarian crises. A final report by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission acknowledged that violations of reproductive rights had been committed during the decades-long armed conflict (1964-2016). Several former army members, civilians and former FARC-EP commanders were charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during the conflict before the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP). Abortion was decriminalized. Attacks on LGBTI people continued. Gender-based violence persisted and survivors faced ongoing barriers to accessing justice, truth and reparation. Venezuelan refugee women faced violence and discrimination on grounds of nationality and gender.”
"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₁₈

After 52 years of conflict, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia demobilized after an agreement was reached, however "civilians continue to suffer serious abuses by the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas and paramilitary successor groups that emerged after a demobilization process a decade ago. ... Human rights defenders, trade unionists, journalists, indigenous and Afro-Colombian leaders, and other community activists face death threats and violence, mostly from guerrillas and successor groups. Perpetrators of these abuses are rarely held accountable"₁₃. The agreement explicitly sets the ground for investigations into human rights abuses from FARC and members of the armed forces₁₃.

Along with 11 others, Colombia signed the Lima Declaration in 2017, condemning "the assault on democratic order and the systematic violation of human rights in Venezuela"₁₉.

2. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

2.1. Press Freedom

#democracy #freedom #Freedom_of_Speech #Good_Governance #mass_media #politics #UK

Press Freedom Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2025₁₁
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
111	Israel	51.06
112	Madagascar	50.80
113	Georgia	50.53
114	Colombia	49.80
115	Philippines	49.57
116	Kenya	49.41
117	Equatorial Guinea	48.68
118	Mali	48.23
	The Americas Avg	55.99
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

Colombia ranks 114th in the world with regard to supporting press freedom.

The freedom to investigate, publish information, and have access to others' opinion is a fundamental part of today's information-driven world, and is linked with Freedom of Speech and Good Governance. Scores on the Press Freedom Index are calculated according to indicators including pluralism - the degree to which opinions are represented in the media, media independence of authorities, self-censorship, legislation, transparency and the infrastructure that supports news and information, and, the level of violence against journalists which includes lengths of imprisonments. The index "does not take direct account of the kind of political system but it is clear that democracies provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate news and information than countries where human rights are flouted". The rankings are used as one of the datasets of the Social and Moral Development Index₂₀

It must be noted that press freedom is not an indicator of press quality and the press itself can be abusive; the UK suffers in particular from a popular brand of nasty reporting that infuses several of its newspapers who are particularly prone to running destructive and often untrue campaigns against victims. The Press Freedom Index notes that "the index should in no way be taken as an indicator of the quality of the media in the countries concerned".

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

Averages by decade for Colombia (for the ranks, lower is better):

Press Freedom	2000s Average	2010s Average
Colombia:	42.53	59.62
World Rank:	137th	⇡ 127th
World Avg:	27.44	65.91

2.2. Slavery in the 2020s

#burundi #colombia #eritrea #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better₁₂
Pos.		Total Per 1000₁₂
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
117=	Lebanon	7.60
117=	Ecuador	7.60
119	Slovakia	7.70
120=	Colombia	7.80
120=	Equatorial Guinea	7.80
120=	Philippines	7.80
120=	Nigeria	7.80
120=	Georgia	7.80
	The Americas Avg	5.84
	World Avg	7.15
q=160.

Colombia is 120th in the world in terms of combatting modern slavery.

Modern slavery includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones, and the poverty-stricken vulnerable.₂₁. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₂₂, Eritrea₂₂, Indonesia₂₃) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say in their 2023 report, that 50 million people are living in modern slavery₂₂, and, nearly two-thirds of those in forced labour are employed at the end of supply chains working for large multinationals that creating products consumed by rich countries₂₄.

For more, see:

"The Historical Slave Trade and Modern Slavery" by Vexen Crabtree (2018).

Colombia practices conscription, which involves a mandatory period of service in the military. But the Walk Free Foundation reports that this sometimes becomes slave labour as some 'conscripts' are assigned to lengthy and arduous work which is clearly non-military in nature₂₅ such as public infrastructure and civil construction work.

Averages by decade for Colombia (for the ranks, lower is better):

Slavery	2010s Average	2020s Average
Colombia:	2.70	7.80
World Rank:	53rd	⇣ 120th
World Avg:	6.54	7.15

2.3. Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom

#freedom #politics

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better₁₀
Pos.		2014 Rank₁₀
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
110	Ivory Coast	110
111=	Ukraine	111
111=	Senegal	111
111=	Colombia	111
111=	Kuwait	111
115=	Malaysia	115
115=	Russia	115
117	Qatar	117
	The Americas Avg	72.4
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

When it comes to supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, Colombia is 111th in the world (one of the worst in The Americas).

The Human Freedom Index published by the Fraser Institute is...

“... a broad measure of human freedom, understood as the absence of coercive constraint. It uses 79 distinct indicators of personal and economic freedom in the following areas: Rule of Law, Security and Safety, Movement, Religion, Association, Assembly, and Civil Society, Expression, Relationships, Size of Government, Legal System and Property Rights, Access to Sound Money, Freedom to Trade Internationally, Regulation of Credit, Labor, and Business. [...]
The highest levels of freedom are in Western Europe, Northern Europe, and North America (Canada and the United States. The lowest levels are in the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. [...]
Countries in the top quartile of freedom enjoy a significant higher per capita income ($37,147) [compared with] the least-free quartile [at] $8,700). The HFI finds a strong correlation between human freedom and democracy.”
"The Human Freedom Index" by The Fraser Institute (2016)₂₆

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.4. Freedom in the World

#freedom #human_rights #hungary #politics #USA

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
77=	Senegal	2.5
77=	Israel	2.5
77=	Solomon Islands	2.5
77=	Colombia	2.5
77=	Nauru	2.5
77=	Lesotho	2.5
77=	Namibia	2.5
77=	Brazil	2.5
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Colombia comes 76th in the world in terms of its average Freedom in the World rating.

Freedom House's long-standing annual report has been running since the 1970s, collecting data on political rights (PR) and civil liberties (CL). Their reports rate countries as "Free", "Partially Free" or "Not Free", however the results here are based on their numerical values. Many countries score the best combination of scores (1 and 1), which is why the table of results show many places equally placed in 1st place. In the past two decades, some well-established democracies like the USA and Hungary have been falling. Whilst most of the world in general is improving rights and freedoms over time, the 2020s has seen some regression.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Averages by decade for Colombia (for the ranks, lower is better):

Freedom in the World	1970s Average	1980s Average	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average
Colombia:	2.3	2.6	3.6	3.6	3.3
World Rank:	39th	⇣ 50th	⇣ 99th	⇣ 112th	⇡ 108th
World Avg:	4.3	4.2	3.6	3.4	3.4

2.5. Human Rights Watch Comments

#human_rights

Human Rights Watch Comments Higher is better₇
Pos.		2017 Score₇
1=	UK	9
1=	France	9
1=	Germany	9
	...
64=	Qatar	-3
64=	Tanzania	-3
64=	Ecuador	-3
64=	Colombia	-3
64=	Bolivia	-3
69=	Kenya	-4
69=	Philippines	-4
69=	Nigeria	-4
	The Americas Avg	-0.8
	World Avg	-1.9
q=123.

Amongst the worst in The Americas Colombia ranks 60th in the world regarding commentary in Human Rights Watch reports.

Human Rights Watch comments concentrate mostly on negative issues, however, they also make positive comments for those countries that engage in human rights defence around the world, or who make improvements at home. By adding up positive and negative comments (including double-points for negatives that involve large scales and crimes against humanity), the Social and Moral Index turns HRW commentary into quantified values. Some countries may be unfairly penalized because HRW have not examined them, and, some countries "get away" with abuses if they manage to hide it, or if it goes unnoticed - a negative point has been given for those countries in which HRW specifically state that access to investigators has been barred. The points were limited to a minimum of -10 because there are some points at which things are so bad, with abuses affecting so many, it is difficult to be more specific about the depths of the issues.

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.6. Nominal Commitment to HR

#human_rights

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₆
Pos.		2009 Treaties₆
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
49=	Panama	20
49=	New Zealand	20
51=	Uganda	19
51=	Colombia	19
51=	Switzerland	19
51=	UK	19
51=	Venezuela	19
51=	Lesotho	19
	The Americas Avg	16.5
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

Colombia is positioned 51st in the world with regard to its nominal commitment to Human Rights.

There are many international agreements on human rights, and, many mechanisms by which countries can be brought to account for their actions. Together, these have been the biggest historical movement in the fight against oppression and inhumanity. Or, putting it another way: these are rejected mostly by those who wish to oppress inhumanely. None of them are perfect and many people object to various components and wordings, but, no-one has come up with, and enforced, better methods of controlling the occasional desires that states and peoples have of causing angst for other states and peoples in a violent, unjust or inhumane way. Points are awarded for the number of human rights agreements ratified by the country, plus the acceptance of the petition mechanisms for disputes. The maximum possible score in 2009 was 24.

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.7. HR Treaties Lag

#human_rights #international_law #micronesia #politics #small_islands

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₇
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₇
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
4	Colombia	3.68
5	Costa Rica	4.05
6	Mexico	4.08
7	Chile	4.12
8	Philippines	4.19
9	Bulgaria	4.24
10	Panama	4.26
11	Senegal	4.32
12	Namibia	4.36
	The Americas Avg	8.45
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Colombia is 4th-best in the world in terms of speed of uptake of HR treaties.

Human Rights (HR) Treaties Lag is a count of how long it took each country to sign each of 11 key HR treaties. From the date of the first signatory of each treaty, all other countries have one point added to their score for each day they delayed in signing. Results are presented as average time in years to sign each one. The lower a country's score, the more enthusiastically it has taken on international Human Rights Treaties - which are, of course, minimal standards of good governance. The slowest are the countries of Micronesia, Melanesia, Australasia and Polynesia all lagged by over 12 years per treaty. The best regions are The Americas, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

3. Gender Equality Datasets

#colombia

The 1950s saw a late rush of 43 countries, including Colombia and many developing nations, move to cease preventing women from voting. Colombia has made some steps towards ending gender inequality but much more needs to be done.

“Gender-based violence is widespread in Colombia. Lack of training and poor implementation of treatment protocols impede timely access to medical services and create obstacles for women and girls seeking post-violence care. Perpetrators of gender-based violence crimes are rarely brought to justice. In July 2015, "femicide"-defined, in part, as the murder of a woman because of her gender-became a crime. The law established comprehensive measures to prevent and prosecute gender-based violence, including recognizing the rights of victims and their relatives to specialized legal assistance.”

"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₁₃

See:

3.1. Gender Inequality

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #women

Gender Inequality Lower is better₉
Pos.		2022₉
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
97=	Brazil	0.40
97=	S. Africa	0.40
99	Suriname	0.41
100	Colombia	0.41
101	Honduras	0.42
102	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	0.42
103	Guyana	0.42
104	Samoa	0.42
	The Americas Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.34
q=166.

Colombia ranks 100th in the world with regard to opposing gender inequality.

The UN Human Development Reports include statistics on gender equality which take into account things like maternal mortality, access to political power (seats in parliament) and differences between male and female education rates. Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchalism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

For more, see:

"Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

Averages by decade for Colombia (for the ranks, lower is better):

Gender Inequality	2000s Average	2010s Average
Colombia:	0.49	0.43
World Rank:	89th	⇣ 95th
World Avg:	0.41	0.37

3.2. Gender Biases

#gender #gender_equality #prejudice #women

Gender Biases Lower is better₄
Pos.		2022 %₄
1	Sweden	31.8₂₈
2	New Zealand	34.4₂₉
3	Australia	37.0₂₉
	...
37	Mexico	90.2₂₉
38	Belarus	90.4₂₈
39	Moldova	90.7₃₀
40	Colombia	91.2₂₉
41	Bolivia	91.3₂₉
42	Russia	91.4₂₉
43	Turkey	91.6₂₉
44	China	91.8₂₉
	The Americas Avg	82.90
	World Avg	83.93
q=88.

Colombia is 40th in the world in terms of the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators).

The Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) looks at gender biases across seven criteria; the % given here is for the total people who are biased across any of those criteria. By subtracting the value from 100%, you can see that those who do well on this index, you are seeing a count of those who do not appear to be biased against women in any of the criteria, and so, doing well on this index is a very positive sign for any country.

The data was included in UN (2022) with full results in Annex table AS6.7.1; their data stems for ranges between 2005 and 2022, depending on the country in question.

3.3. Year Women Can Vote

#christianity #gender_equality #human_rights #politics #women

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
96=	Mexico	1953
96=	Bhutan	1953
96=	Syria	1953
99=	Colombia	1954
99=	Belize	1954
99=	Ghana	1954
102=	Nicaragua	1955
102=	Ethiopia	1955
	The Americas Avg	1947
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Colombia is positioned 99th in the world with regard to the year from which women could participate in democracy.

Women now have equal rights in the vast majority of countries across the world. Although academic literature oftens talks of when a country "grants women the right to vote", this enforces a backwards way of thinking. Women always had the right to vote, however, they were frequently denied that right. The opposition to women's ability to vote in equality with man was most consistently and powerfully opposed by the Catholic Church, other Christian organisations, Islamic authorities and some other religious and secular traditionalists.

For more, see:

"Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

4. Prejudice Datasets

4.1. Anti-Semite Opinions

#antisemitism #christianity #germany #indonesia #jordan #judaism #laos #morocco #netherlands #pakistan #philippines #religion #religious_violence #saudi_arabia #spain #sweden #turkey #UK #vietnam

Anti-Semite Opinions Lower is better₈
Pos.		2014 %₈
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
	...
68=	S. Africa	38
68=	Belarus	38
68=	Peru	38
71=	Colombia	41
71=	Hungary	41
71=	Dominican Rep.	41
74	Serbia	42
75=	Bulgaria	44
	The Americas Avg	29.7
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

Colombia comes 72nd in the world when it comes to its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice (one of the worst in The Americas).

Anti-Semitism is the word given to irrational racism against Jews. It's not the same as anti-Judaism (arguments against the religion) nor the same as anti-Zionism (arguments against Israel). In history, influential Christian theologians concocted the arguments against Jews that led, very early on, to widespread Christian action against Jews₃₁_,₃₂_,₃₃_,₃₄. As Christianity rose to power in the West and presided over the Dark Ages, there were repeated violent outbursts against Jews of the most horrible kind. Entire Crusades were aimed at them and the feared Spanish Inquisition paid Jews particular attention. The horror of the holocaust instigated by German Nazis in the 1940s was followed (finally) by the era of European human rights and a movement against racism in general.

The places that are the least anti-Semitical are a few countries of south-east Asia (Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam) and some of the secular liberal democracies of Europe (Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK). The worst countries for antisemitism are Islamic states of the Middle East₃₅, which are undergoing their own Dark Age. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey see the most oppressive and violent actions towards Jews₃₆_,₃₇. Jews in Muslim countries face a host of restrictions and "ceaseless humiliation and regular pogroms"₃₈. In 2004 the European Union Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia reported on violent anti-Jew crimes in the EU and found that that largest group of perpetrators were young Muslim males₃₉.

For more, see:

"Anti-Semitism" by Vexen Crabtree (2017).

4.2. LGBT Equality in the 2020s

#argentina #brazil #colombia #equality #homosexuality #human_rights #ICCPR #intolerance #sexuality #tolerance #uruguay

Since 2015 there have been several positive steps to remove artificial legal prejudice against LGBT folk; it is no longer permissible to bar someone from adopting a child because of their sexual orientation and in 2016 the court upheld the right of same-sex couples to marry₁₃. In 2016, Colombia became the fourth country in Catholic-majority South America to legalize same-sex marriage, following Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, although direction had to be forced through via the courts, who stated that "all people are free to choose independently to start a family in keeping with their sexual orientation � receiving equal treatment under the constitution and the law"₁₄.

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better₃
Pos.		Total Score₃
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
34	Japan	2.31
35	Liechtenstein	2.30
36	Lithuania	2.19
37	Colombia	2.18
38	Greece	2.12
39	Andorra	2.01
40	Estonia	1.90
41	Cyprus	1.85
	The Americas Avg	0.41
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215.

In terms of LGBT equality in the 2020s, Colombia is 37th in the world.

Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence₄₀. LGBT tolerance and equal rights have been fought for country-by-country against tightly entrenched cultural and religious opposition. Adult consensual sexual activity is a Human Right and protected by privacy laws₄₁. Despite this, it is illegal to be homosexual in over 60 countries (as of 2025)₄₂. The Vexen LGBT Equality Index as part of the Social and Moral Development Index grants points to each country depending on its LGBT stance since the 1970s₄₃_,₄₄. Europe is by far the least prejudiced region, but in the Middle East and Africa cultural prejudice goes hand-in-hand with state intolerance, all too often including physical violence.

For more, see:

" LGBT Rights Across the World: Which are the Best and Worst Countries?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Homosexuality in Colombia was illegal until 1981, and even after decriminalisation, police continued to use vague "morality" and "public order" laws to harass LGBT folk. But since the late 1990s, LGBT rights have advanced steadily: equal age of consent since the 1990s, anti-discrimination protections since 2011, adoption rights since 2015, and same-sex marriage since 2016. ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Colombia had legal protections against anti-LGBT employment discrimination, hate crime, incitement and other protections. LGBT people can serve in the military, change legal gender, and enjoy broad constitutional protections, though social stigma and violence remain issues.

Actions taken at the United Nations:

⇡ Supported the 2008 Declaration at the UN General Assemly affirming LGBTQ rights, tabled by Argentina.

Averages by decade for Colombia (for the ranks, lower is better):

LGBT Equality	1970s Average	1980s Average	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average	2020s Average
Colombia:	-5.00	-2.45	-2.00	1.45	1.65	2.18
World Rank:	136th	⇡ 76th	⇣ 90th	⇡ 55th	⇣ 66th	⇡ 37th
World Avg:	-2.98	-2.87	-2.60	-2.15	-1.10	-1.21

4.3. Freedom of Thought

#europe #freedom_of_belief #freethought #human_rights #netherlands #religion #religious_tolerance #secularism #the_enlightenment

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₅
Pos.		2021₅
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
57=	Bahamas	2.5
57=	Central African Rep.	2.5
57=	Chile	2.5
57=	Colombia	2.5
57=	Costa Rica	2.5
62=	Austria	2.7
62=	Honduras	2.7
62=	Czechia	2.7
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

Colombia comes 44th in the world in terms of freethought.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights₄₅. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish₄₆. No countries voted against this (although eight abstained). This right was first recognized clearly in the policies of religious toleration of the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe in the post-enlightenment era₄₇ of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted₄₈. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief₄₉. The best countries at doing so are Belgium, The Netherlands and Taiwan₅_,₅₀ and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia₅_,₅₁.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed₅₂. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief₄₆, including entire cultures and many individual communities of religious believers. Their alternative is that you are not free to believe what you want and they often state that you cannot change religion without being punished (often including the death penalty): this is bemoaned as one of the most dangerous elements of religion₅₃ and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"₅₄ and the solution is, everywhere, to allow religious freedom and the freedom of belief.

For more, see:

"Freethought - Freedom of Belief and Freedom of Religion" by Vexen Crabtree (2022).