ABSTRACT. This article analyzes the phenomenon of the social stigmatization of human rights defenders and social leaders in Colombia and its relationship with the persecution, threats, harassment, and homicides against this population, especially after the 2016 Peace Agreement. This relationship has been particularly ignored even though it explains much of the criminality directed against social defenders and leaders in the country, which tends to be normalized, even holding the victims themselves responsible for the violence they endure on account of their activities. The article highlights the responsibility of illegal armed groups and their illicit economies and the State’s criminal policy failures to control this stigmatization and criminality in Colombia.

RESUMEN. Este artículo analiza el fenómeno de la estigmatización social de defensores de derechos humanos y líderes sociales en Colombia, y su relación con la persecución, amenazas, hostigamiento y homicidios contra esta población, en especial después del Acuerdo de Paz de 2016. Esta relación ha sido especialmente ignorada, pese a que explica buena parte de la criminalidad dirigida contra los defensores y líderes sociales en el país, ya que tiende a normalizarla e incluso a responsabilizar a las propias víctimas de la violencia que sufren por cuenta de sus actividades. El artículo destaca la responsabilidad de los grupos armados al margen de la ley y sus economías ilícitas, y las fallas en la política penal del Estado para el control de esta estigmatización y criminalidad en Colombia.

RESUMO Este artigo examina as distorções da criminologia do Norte global na compreensão do conceito de ações sociais. Utiliza os métodos analítico e dialético para explicar os equívocos e as implicações do uso das noções de criminalidade e desvio social, utilizadas pela criminologia do Norte e assimiladas de forma acrítica no Sul. Como alternativa, apresenta a categoria teórica de divergência social. Estes serão os pressupostos para abordar a questão central deste artigo: uma nova cosmovisão das ações que interessam ao direito penal e ao controle penal, em consonância com as necessidades da criminologia do Sul global.

ABSTRACT From the Distortions of the Global North Criminology to the Southern Criminology’s New Cosmovision examines distortions in the understanding of social actions in Global North criminology. The analytic and dialectic methods are used to explain errors and implications derived from the uses of the notions of criminality and social deviation by Northern criminology, and uncritically assimilated in the South. As an alternative, we present the theoretical category of social divergence. All the above comprise the grounds to discuss the central issue of this article: a new approach to the world view regarding social actions that arouse the interest of criminal law and of social control, in line with the needs of criminology in the Global South.

Se plantean interrogantes a partir del análisis de las series estadísticas de delitos contra el patrimonio económico en Colombia de décadas recientes y se sugieren algunas hipótesis para futuras investigaciones. Se analiza la distribución territorial de los delitos en los cambiantes escenarios demográficos, institucionales y socioeconómicos de la segunda mitad del siglo XX. También se observa la variación en la participación de los delitos contra la propiedad dentro del conjunto del total general de la criminalidad en el país, y se señalan los efectos distorsivos introducidos por la modificación de tipos y procedimientos penales mediante reformas a los códigos. Concluye con una reflexión sobre la naturaleza e intención de las reformas a la política penal del pasado y sus efectos sobre la seguridad y el funcionamiento de la justicia en Colombia.

This paper poses questions from an analysis of statistical series of criminal offenses against property in Colombia during recent decades and presents the distortive effects caused by reforms to criminal statute that create or eliminate penal types or vary legal classification of a penal conduct. This paper also analyzes the territorial distribution of offenses in changing demographic, institutional and socioeconomic scenarios from the second half of the 20th century; reviews the variation in the participation of offense against property within the total criminality rate in the country; and, finally, reflects upon the nature and intention of the reforms to criminal policy in the past and its effects on the security and functioning of justice in Colombia.