colombian armed conflict violence per year

This aspect is important to mention since communication through social networks has become part of everyday life for most people in the country. Violence is deeply rooted in Colombian society, and it is also reflected in online behavior.

Specialist NGOs such as the Karisma Foundation and Colnodo are doing important awareness-raising and advocacy work here. Surprisingly, data protection and data security do not seem to be a major concern either for those directly affected or for the general public. The restrictions begin with an extremely long data-retention period of five years and extend to the hacking and interception of journalists. This security apparatus must be understood as a restriction on freedom of expression – both offline and online – which is secured in the constitution, works largely in practice and has recently been defended by the Supreme Court.

In the third most populous country in Latin America, a security apparatus was built up in the shadow of the conflict. In large part due to the conflict, many regions were totally cut off from technological development with very different concerns than issues such as Internet access. The decades-long struggle between guerrillas, paramilitary groups and the army in Colombia has shaped the country's politics and society in many ways, including in terms of its digital participation.

Colombian armed conflict violence per year