When Colombian President Gustavo Petro came into office last year, he touted a plan for "total peace." But that hasn't happened in the last year. Instead, church leaders continue to be harassed, extorted and murdered due to the violence around control of territories between armed guerillas, drug gangs and other armed groups. Christians in these areas who dare to speak publicly about corruption and violence face attacks for their bold witness. Similarly, church leaders who oppose criminal activities in their sermons also can be targeted. Believers who work with youth or champion human and environmental rights risk violence from armed groups. Essentially, any action that a group views as defiant or opposes their illegal activities is enough to lead to violent attacks or immense pressure.

In some indigenous communities, there is sometimes significant opposition toward Christian missionaries and anyone who has converted from traditional practices to follow Jesus. As a result, these believers can face threats, imprisonment, physical abuse, and lose access to basic needs like water, electricity, education, sanitation and even the loss of land. This hostility creates a reality that can leave Christians completely ostracized from their community and increasingly vulnerable to the violence engulfing many rural areas in Colombia.

There also seems to be a growing intolerance toward Christian views in the public sphere, especially about issues concerning life, family, marriage and religious liberty. Sometimes, Christians can be accused of hate speech and intolerance, which can promote self-censorship.

Christians living in places controlled by armed militias are the most likely to face violence for any kind of public witness. Some believers who abandon their indigenous spiritual traditions also may experience pressure and abuse from their own family and community.