Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of reports of the murder of José Alirio Chochué Molanoin in Colombia on 19 January 2024.

The British Government remains concerned at the worrying rate of murders of, and threats against, peace signatories, including that of José Alirio Chochué. We will continue to support the Colombian Government in its commitment to implement the 2016 Peace Agreement and ensure the protection and safety of peace activists and women's rights campaigners. During my visit to Colombia in March, I raised the human rights situation with Vice Foreign Minister Coy. At the UN Security Council meeting on Colombia earlier this month, we set out our concern over attacks on human rights defenders, communities, women and social leaders, and reiterated our commitment to supporting efforts to tackle the root causes of violence in Colombia.