Organized Crime’s Newest Targets – The Dispatch

Escalating Violence Against Religious Leaders in Latin America: A Threat to Sustainable Development Goal 16

Introduction: A Regional Crisis Undermining Peace and Justice

A pattern of escalating violence by organized crime networks is increasingly targeting religious leaders and communities across Latin America. This trend represents a significant impediment to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), as it directly undermines public safety, erodes the rule of law, and attacks foundational community structures. The targeting of faith leaders—including Catholic, Protestant, and indigenous figures—is not random but a strategic effort by criminal elements to eliminate obstacles to their control over local populations.

The Nexus of Organized Crime and Religious Freedom Violations

The violence perpetrated by cartels and gangs against religious communities constitutes a severe, albeit often indirect, violation of religious freedom and a direct assault on community stability. This dynamic obstructs progress on several Sustainable Development Goals.

• Threats to SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions): Religious leaders are targeted because their positive influence and community work, such as encouraging youth to reject crime, threaten the operational control of criminal groups. This violence directly contravenes Target 16.1, which aims to significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates.
• Erosion of SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): Faith-based groups are often described as the “glue holding their communities together.” By intimidating, extorting, and murdering community leaders, criminal organizations dismantle the social fabric, making communities less safe, inclusive, and resilient.
• Violation of Fundamental Freedoms: According to the Observatory of Religious Freedom in Latin America (OLIRE), organized crime impedes the individual and collective aspects of religious freedom, including the freedoms of movement, expression, worship, and assembly, which are essential for peaceful and inclusive societies.

Regional Analysis of Threats and Violence

The problem is widespread, with specific manifestations of violence and state-led pressure documented across the region, highlighting a systemic failure to protect vulnerable populations and uphold the rule of law as mandated by SDG 16.

Case Study: Colombia

Religious leaders in Colombia face extreme vulnerability. The recent discovery of a mass grave containing eight murdered church workers, who had been summoned by an illegal armed group, underscores the grave risks.

1. Targeted Assassinations: Hundreds of church leaders who defy criminal restrictions have been targeted for assassination.
2. Extortion and Intimidation: Churches frequently face extortion from armed groups, hindering their community support functions.
3. Governmental Policy Reversal: A 2023 presidential decree removed religious leaders as a specifically protected category under Decree 1066, eliminating their access to dedicated security measures. This policy change represents a significant step backward in the state’s commitment to protecting human rights defenders and achieving SDG Target 16.A (strengthen relevant national institutions).

Case Study: Mexico

Violence has reached alarming levels, with the Catholic Multimedia Center (CCM) documenting consistent attacks that destabilize communities.

• Murders and Attacks: In the last six years, 10 priests were murdered, and 14 other priests and bishops were attacked.
• Desecration of Sacred Spaces: An average of 26 churches are desecrated or assaulted weekly.
• Criminal Misuse of Facilities: Criminals threaten clergy and seek to use religious buildings for storing illegal weapons or drugs, placing entire congregations at risk.

State-Led Repression in Nicaragua and Cuba

In addition to criminal violence, state-led repression in authoritarian countries further restricts the ability of religious groups to contribute to just and inclusive societies.

• Nicaragua: The Ortega regime has systematically dismantled civil society, forcing hundreds of Christian ministries to close, arresting dozens of priests on fabricated charges, and exiling them. This undermines the development of strong, independent institutions (SDG 16).
• Cuba: The government’s legal framework severely restricts freedom of religion, making it nearly impossible for new church groups to form. Leaders who do not conform to the party line face surveillance, harassment, and forced exile, contributing to the erosion of social inclusion under SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

Conclusion: A Call for Renewed Commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals

The violence against religious leaders in Latin America is a critical issue that threatens regional stability and directly obstructs the fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The high homicide rates and prevalence of violent cities are symptoms of a deeper crisis in governance and the rule of law.

Recommendations for Action

A comprehensive approach is required to address this complex challenge, centered on reinforcing the principles of the SDGs.

1. Reinforce Institutional Protections (SDG 16): Governments must fulfill their primary duty to protect all citizens. This includes reversing policy decisions that weaken protections for at-risk groups, such as the amendment to Colombia’s Decree 1066, and ensuring perpetrators are held legally accountable.
2. Promote Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships (SDG 17): Durable solutions require effective partnerships between governments, international bodies, and civil society. Engaging directly with congregations and faith-based organizations is essential, as they are vital for fostering social stability and community resilience.
3. Address Root Causes: Policymakers must confront the impact of organized crime on all facets of society, recognizing that protecting religious communities is integral to building peaceful, just, and sustainable societies for all.

Analysis of SDGs in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The primary Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) addressed in the article is:

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
  
  This goal is central to the article, which focuses extensively on the breakdown of peace and security due to organized crime, violence against specific community groups (religious leaders), the failure of the rule of law, and the inability or unwillingness of state institutions to provide protection and justice. The article details how “cartel violence and organized crime have plagued some locales in Latin America,” leading to a “disintegrating rule of law.” It calls for “a renewed commitment to security” and highlights how weak institutions fail to protect citizens, directly aligning with the core mission of SDG 16 to “promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.”

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s discussion of violence, lawlessness, and institutional failures, several specific targets under SDG 16 can be identified:

1. Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.
   
   The article is replete with examples that connect directly to this target. It opens by mentioning the “discovery of the bodies of eight murdered church workers in Colombia” and states that the region has the “highest proportion of homicides linked to organized crime globally.” It further specifies that in Mexico, “criminals murdered 10 priests” in the last six years and that religious leaders in Colombia have been “targeted for assassination.”
2. Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.
   
   The article highlights a “disintegrating rule of law” and “lawlessness” as core problems. It points to the need to hold perpetrators “legally accountable” and criticizes the Colombian government’s decision to amend Decree 1066, which “removed religious leaders as a protected category, thereby ending their specific access to security measures.” This action directly undermines the principle of equal access to justice and protection under the law.
3. Target 16.10: Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements.
   
   The article explicitly states that organized crime and authoritarian regimes limit “foundational freedoms connected to, or necessary for, the full enjoyment of freedom of religion or belief—such as movement, expression, worship, and assembly.” It provides examples from Nicaragua, where the regime “forced hundreds of Christian ministries to close,” and Cuba, where the government’s legal framework “grossly restricts freedom of religion or belief.”
4. Target 16.a: Strengthen relevant national institutions… to prevent violence and combat… crime.
   
   The text underscores the need for stronger institutions by pointing out “limited police capacity, constrained resources, and remote areas infiltrated by the FARC.” The call for the Colombian government to “restore protections for religious leaders” and for state institutions to “redouble their efforts to protect those who lead through faith” is a direct appeal to strengthen national institutional capacity to prevent violence.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article mentions or implies several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure progress:

• For Target 16.1 (Reduce violence):
  • Number of intentional homicides: The article provides specific numbers, such as the “eight murdered church workers in Colombia” and “10 priests” murdered in Mexico. Tracking this number over time would be a direct indicator.
  • Proportion of population subjected to physical, psychological or sexual violence: The article describes attacks, intimidation, extortion, and violence against religious leaders and communities, such as the “14 priests and bishops” who were attacked in Mexico.
  • Number of violent cities: The article cites the statistic that “Latin America was home to 40 of the world’s 50 most violent cities last year.”
• For Target 16.3 (Promote rule of law):
  • Proportion of victims of violence who reported their victimization to competent authorities: While not stated directly, the article implies this is low due to fear and lack of trust. The mention of individuals obeying “personal summonses issued by an illegal armed group, from which they did not return” suggests state authorities are not the primary power.
  • Existence of independent national human rights institutions: The article discusses the weakening of protective frameworks like Colombia’s Decree 1066, indicating a regression in institutional protection. Reinstating such protections would be a positive indicator.
• For Target 16.10 (Protect fundamental freedoms):
  • Number of verified cases of killing, kidnapping, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention and torture of journalists, associated media personnel, trade unionists and human rights advocates: The article focuses on religious leaders as a targeted group, citing “kidnappings, forced displacements… and murders.” Specific cases include “dozens of Catholic priests were arrested… and eventually exiled” in Nicaragua.
  • Number of countries that adopt and implement constitutional, statutory and/or policy guarantees for public access to information: The article points to negative indicators, such as the Nicaraguan regime forcing “hundreds of Christian ministries to close” and Cuba’s legal framework that “restricts freedom of religion.”

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: thedispatch.com