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From Combat to Territorial Control: Recommendations for a Security Policy Adapted to Contemporary Violence in Colombia
Colombia currently faces a transformed, fragmented form of violence centered on territorial and social control rather than the traditional insurgency. This briefing paper argues that state security strategies remain misaligned, relying on outdated military approaches and metrics. To avoid long-term democratic instability, it recommends shifting toward governance-based security, effective civil oversight, strong judicial capacity, and a comprehensive understanding of territorial control.
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Colombia is currently facing a phase of violence that is substantially different from the one addressed for decades by the state’s security policy. The counterinsurgency confrontation has given way to a fragmented, polycentric form of violence, oriented toward territorial and social control, carried out by multiple armed actors competing for resources, populations, and local power. However, the state’s response remains anchored in strategic, doctrinal, and operational frameworks designed for a war that has already ended.
This briefing paper argues that the main problem of security in Colombia is not the absence of state capacity, but its misalignment with the current nature of violence. Persisting in an approach centered on combat, military deployment, and traditional indicators of success limits the protection of communities, reduces the effectiveness of the state, and, in some cases, unintentionally contributes to the reconfiguration of violence.
The paper proposes a strategic adjustment of the security and defense sector to transition from a predominantly militarized model to one based on strategic governance, effective civilian control, strong investigative and judicial capacities, and a comprehensive understanding of territorial control. The recommendations are aimed at both the public sector and civilian decision-makers, and are framed as viable public policy decisions for a future government.
