Colombia has left the 45-member Equal Rights Coalition, ending its co-chairmanship with Spain before the term was due to expire.
Colombia withdrew Thursday from the Equal Rights Coalition (ERC), a 45-member group that works to advance LGBT rights, ending its co-chairmanship with Spain before the mandate was due to expire.
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The Colombian Foreign Ministry notified the coalition of the decision in a letter stating that the withdrawal would take effect immediately.
Colombia had shared the coalition’s co-chairmanship with Spain since 2024. The ERC brings together governments and civil society organizations from different countries and works on international diplomacy, legislation and public policy, donor coordination, the Sustainable Development Goals and humanitarian protection.
Caribe Afirmativo, a Colombian organization focused on LGBT rights, said the government withdrew before completing the mandate it assumed in December 2024 and called on the government and Foreign Ministry to publicly explain the decision.
According to official sources consulted by Caribe Afirmativo, the argument used by the government to justify the withdrawal was reportedly linked to the perception that Colombia’s participation in the coalition was a legacy of the previous government.
The organization argued that commitments to the rights of LGBTIQ+ people should be matters of state policy rather than depend on changes in government.
Caribe Afirmativo also requested information on the future of the equality agenda in Colombia’s foreign policy and on funding allocated to implement the Feminist Foreign Policy in 2027.
During the electoral campaign, Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella opposed adoption by same-sex couples. The position forms part of his stance on the traditional family and has been cited by organizations as a source of concern over the direction of the government’s equality policies.
Caribe Afirmativo called for greater clarity on the continuity of Colombia’s equality agenda in foreign policy following its withdrawal from the coalition.
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