Rural Churches Face Violence: Growing Threats of Extortion and Displacement

Rural churches across Latin America are increasingly becoming targets of violence, extortion, kidnappings, and forced displacement as drug cartels and armed groups expand their territorial control in remote regions with limited state presence.

Colombia: South America's Most Dangerous Country for Christians

Colombia has emerged as the most dangerous country in South America for Christians over the last five years, ranking No. 34 globally on Open Doors' World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian.

"Colombia is a country where there are two realities. On the one hand, there is a lot of freedom in the big cities, and the Christians there are not even aware of the persecution that occurs in the rural areas of the country," said Ted Blake, the director of Open Doors in Spain. "[But] in those rural areas, there are armed groups—guerrillas or paramilitaries—who don't allow anything to be done without their approval, which you obtain by paying them [extortion money]."

Systematic Targeting of Church Leaders

Pastors are killed routinely though it's rarely reported. They are targeted because they refuse to allow their congregations to be recruited into the drug trade. Churches are frequently closed down too, but the threat of violence is ever present.

The violence extends even into urban areas. In the capital, Bogota, a 2018 report claimed that 13% of Christian leaders had received death threats, and over 3% were targeted for extortion.

Government Data Reveals Deadly Pattern

The Attorney General's Office (AGO) reported that nonstate actors killed four religious leaders during the year, compared with three in 2022. In addition, the office investigated two cases of forced displacement of religious leaders in Putumayo and an unknown location.

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and church representatives reported illegal armed groups continued to kill, threaten, or displace human rights defenders, including some religious leaders, for promoting human rights, supporting internally displaced persons, assisting with land restitution claims, and discouraging coca cultivation.

Mexico: Cartels Terrorize Churches with Impunity

In Mexico, rural churches face similar threats as cartels expand their territorial control. Cartels also extort church leaders, demanding payments from offerings and threatening violence if they refuse. Pastors and their families face kidnappings, ransom demands, and attacks, often forcing churches to close or reduce services.

Official government and international reports indicate that Mexican cartels have seized direct control of about one third of the country's territory, while their influence—through extortion, intimidation, and criminal activity—extends into roughly 75% of Mexico.

Indigenous Communities Add Another Layer of Persecution

The second form of persecution in rural Colombia, says Open Doors, is carried out by indigenous groups that have autonomy to establish their own rules in the territories that have been given to them. Frequently, these norms prohibit conversion to the Christian faith, which is punishable by expulsion from the community, expropriation of land, or economic exclusion.

A Christian leader from an indigenous community described the harsh reality: "I'm not close to my brother, nor to my sister, and I'm estranged from my brother-in-law. Because you preach the gospel, you are no longer considered part of the family. And because you preach, you also lose the right to work in the community."

Broader Regional Crisis

The violence affecting rural churches is part of a broader crisis of violence in remote areas. Starting in mid-January, Colombia has been shaken by an alarming wave of violence, resulting in over 100 deaths and at least 11,000 displaced people. Clashes between guerrilla groups, such as the National Liberation Army (ELN), and dissident factions of the FARC have escalated in regions like the Venezuelan border and the Amazon.

Limited State Protection

Leaders of many religious groups continued to report that illegal armed nonstate actors, particularly the ELN, hindered peace and reconciliation programs, including those led by religious institutions such as the Catholic Church, in rural areas with a limited state presence.

The absence of effective state control has created a vacuum that criminal organizations have filled, making rural churches particularly vulnerable to violence and extortion.

Economic Impact on Communities

The violence disrupts not only religious life but also local economies. Church leaders who resist cartel demands risk losing their businesses and livelihoods. The absence of state protection erodes trust in institutions and weakens the social fabric, making it harder for communities to recover.

International Response Needed

This amounts to Colombia being perhaps the hardest country in Latin America to practice the Christian faith unmolested. The systematic targeting of rural churches highlights the need for increased international attention and support for religious freedom in areas controlled by criminal organizations.

As drug trafficking groups continue to expand their territorial control, rural churches remain on the front lines of a crisis that threatens not only religious freedom but the very social fabric of affected communities.