Secularism in Colombia
- Date / 2025
- Location / Colombia
- Relevant Institution / UN Human Rights Council
- UN Item / Item 8: Follow-up and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action
ORAL STATEMENT
Humanists International
UN Human Rights Council, 58th session (24 February – 4 April 2025)
General Debate: Item 8, Follow Up and Implementation of the Vienna Declaration
Speaker: Diego Andrés Vargas
Thank you Mr President,
I make this statement on behalf of the Oniros Philosophie Foundation, Colombia, and Humanists International.
The Vienna Declaration recognizes “that every individual has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, expression, and religion”. The right to freedom of religion or belief, however, has never allowed for, and should never be instrumentalized to, undermine or suppress other rights.[1]
For example, historically, the Catholic Church has been complicit in cases of violence in Colombia, with Catholic priests supporting paramilitary violence.[2] While the Church has supported reconciliation processes in the country, there has been no formal institutional apology.[3]
The Vienna Declaration also protects indigenous rights [4]and recognizes the importance of meeting environmental needs equitably. However, we have unfortunately again seen religious institutions undermine such rights. As Indigenous land rights have been eroded by the deforestation of land by Mennonite communities[5] – something which we’ve also seen beyond Colombia.[6]
Contributing to the ways in which religious institutions violate the principles of the Vienna Declaration is the fact that they are tax-exempt.[7] This deprives the state of much-needed funds for public investment and creates opportunity for corruption and fraud.[8]
The rights which the Vienna Declaration seeks to protect are consistently violated and undermined in Colombia, and we call on the State to work to rectify this and promote secularism and religious neutrality.
Thank you
As read:
Gracias Señor Presidente,
Hago esta declaración en nombre de la Fundación Oniros Philosophie, Colombia, y de la Internacional de Humanistas.
La Declaración de Viena reconoce «que todo individuo tiene derecho a la libertad de pensamiento, conciencia, expresión y religión». Sin embargo, el derecho a la libertad de religión o de creencias nunca ha permitido, ni debe ser instrumentalizado, para socavar o suprimir otros derechos.[9]
Por ejemplo, en la historia de Colombia, la Iglesia católica ha sido cómplice en casos de violencia, con sacerdotes católicos que han apoyado la violencia paramilitar.[10] Aunque la Iglesia ha apoyado procesos de reconciliación en el país, no ha habido ninguna disculpa institucional formal.[11]
La Declaración de Viena también protege los derechos indígenas[12] y reconoce la importancia de satisfacer las necesidades medioambientales de forma equitativa. Pero por desgracia, hemos vuelto a ver cómo las instituciones religiosas socavan estos derechos porque los derechos territoriales indígenas han sido erosionados por la deforestación de tierras por parte de las comunidades menonitas,[13] algo que también hemos visto más allá de Colombia.[14]
El hecho de que las instituciones religiosas estén exentas de impuestos contribuye a que se violen los principios de la Declaración de Viena.[15] Esto priva al Estado de fondos muy necesarios para la inversión pública y crea oportunidades para la corrupción y el fraude.[16]
Los derechos que la Declaración de Viena pretende proteger se ven sistemáticamente violentados y menoscabados en Colombia, y pedimos al Estado que trabaje para rectificar esta situación y promover la laicidad y la neutralidad religiosa.
Gracias
[1] https://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrc/docs/gc34.pdf
[2] https://www.scribd.com/document/317530681/Casos-de-implicacion-de-la-iglesia-en-crimenes-del-paramilitarismo
[3] https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-americas/2022/07/pope-francis-gives-his-backing-to-reconciliation-process-in-colombia
https://www.thecatholicspirit.com/news/nation-and-world/1000-catholics-ask-church-seek-pardon-role-conflict
[4] https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/vienna-declaration-and-programme-action p 28-32.
[5] https://news.mongabay.com/2023/03/indigenous-communities-and-mennonite-colonies-clash-in-colombia/
[6] https://earthjournalism.net/stories/indigenous-community-in-peruvian-amazon-resists-deforestation-caused-by-mennonites; https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/19/world/americas/peru-amazon-mennonite-colonies.html
[7] https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-report-on-international-religious-freedom/colombia/
[8] https://www.occrp.org/en/investigation/holy-rollers-the-religious-leaders-using-churches-to-launder-illicit-cash-across-the-americas
[9] https://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrc/docs/gc34.pdf
[10] https://www.scribd.com/document/317530681/Casos-de-implicacion-de-la-iglesia-en-crimenes-del-paramilitarismo
[11] https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-americas/2022/07/pope-francis-gives-his-backing-to-reconciliation-process-in-colombia; https://www.thecatholicspirit.com/news/nation-and-world/1000-catholics-ask-church-seek-pardon-role-conflict
[12] https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/vienna-declaration-and-programme-action p 28-32.
[13] https://news.mongabay.com/2023/03/indigenous-communities-and-mennonite-colonies-clash-in-colombia/
[14] https://earthjournalism.net/stories/indigenous-community-in-peruvian-amazon-resists-deforestation-caused-by-mennonites; https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/19/world/americas/peru-amazon-mennonite-colonies.html
[15] https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-report-on-international-religious-freedom/colombia/
[16] https://www.occrp.org/en/investigation/holy-rollers-the-religious-leaders-using-churches-to-launder-illicit-cash-across-the-americas
'Secularism in Colombia', Humanists International