Ombudsman meets with family of Donovan Balanta, killed in police custody in Bogotá
Ombudsman Iris Marín met with relatives of Donovan Balanta Paz, a 34-year-old person of African descent who died following a police operation in Bogotá.
Ombudsman office stands alongside Donovan Balanta's family following his death in police custody in Bogotá
Ombudsman Iris Marín met on Thursday 15 October with the family of Donovan Balanta Paz, a 34-year-old person of African descent who died after being subdued by officers from the Soacha Metropolitan Police in the Caracolí neighbourhood in south Bogotá. According to infobae.com, the Ombudsman's Office publicised the meeting through its X account and reaffirmed its support for the family.
The incident occurred on Sunday 20 September 2026 in an area on the border between Ciudad Bolívar and the municipality of Soacha, in Cundinamarca. During the operation, Balanta Paz was subdued by officers and taken to a medical facility, where he arrived without vital signs, according to information released by the Ombudsman's Office.
Demands for truth and justice
In the official statement, the Ombudsman's Office noted that Marín "listened to the family, their concerns, requests and demands for truth and justice". The body also indicated that the reported facts "would reflect patterns of structural racial discrimination, against which the National Police must take unequivocal measures to modify any aspect of institutional culture that could be complacent or indifferent to acts of unusual gravity".
The entity stated that it will continue to provide support to the family "until the facts are clarified and all measures of protection, justice, reparation, clarification are offered and actions are taken to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents". At the close of the statement, the Ombudsman's Office affirmed: "Donovan's family deserves answers, truth and justice. Their voice must be heard and respected throughout the entire process".
Disciplinary investigation and forensic analysis underway
One week after the death, on 27 September, the Ombudsman's Office had requested that the Attorney General's Office determine the criminal and disciplinary responsibilities arising from the operation. "The circumstances of his death and possible instances of racial discrimination must be clarified", the body stated in that statement.
To date, the precise circumstances that caused Balanta Paz's death have not been disclosed, nor have the results of forensic examinations. The National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences is conducting the corresponding analyses to establish the cause of death.
The National Police opened an internal disciplinary investigation and suspended seven officers from their posts whilst proceedings are underway. The Ombudsman's Office requested that the investigations allow for a reconstruction of each stage of the police action. "His family members have the right to know what happened and to have the investigations allow for the establishment of truth and those responsible as applicable", the entity stated.
Possible racial profiling under the Prosecutor's scrutiny
The Ombudsman's Office expressly requested that the Prosecutor's Office examine whether conduct associated with racial discrimination, including possible racial profiling against Balanta Paz, occurred during the operation. "We request that the Attorney General's Office advance the investigation to determine those responsible as applicable and to establish whether conduct associated with racial discrimination, including possible racial profiling, occurred during the police procedure", the institution stated.
The body also reported that it maintains communication with people close to the family to guide them on their rights and that it accompanied monitoring of peaceful mobilisations and sit-ins called for to demand clarification of the facts. About a month before the meeting with the family, the case had already generated a mobilisation to the Prosecutor's Office and a public cry for justice.
International context: structural racism in Colombia
The Ombudsman's Office also participated in a technical round table requested by the Advisory Council of Black Communities of Soacha, with participation from the Municipal Mayor's Office, where members of the community raised concerns about reports of racism and racial discrimination in the municipality.
In its statement, the institution linked the case with observations from the United Nations International Mechanism of Independent Experts to Promote Justice and Racial Equality in the Application of the Law. According to the Ombudsman's Office, this group of experts identified during a visit to Colombia conducted in May conditions of structural, systemic and historical racism, in addition to reports of racial profiling, excessive use of force against young people of African descent and discriminatory practices in reports and transfers.
The Ombudsman's Office recalled that police interventions must conform to standards of human rights, use of force and dignified treatment, and requested that authorities apply international recommendations to define and prohibit racial profiling both in legislation and in police operating protocols.
Source: Google News CO — Crime