Acid Attacks in Colombia: Passion Campaigns Fuel Unusual Gender-Based Violence

In 2010, Colombia saw an unexpected spike in acid attacks against women—more than any other country's per capita rate globally during 2010–2014. This surge wasn't mirrored elsewhere.

I argue this violence was tied to the nation-building campaign "Colombia Is Passion" (2005–2011). It redefined Colombia's long-standing violent conflicts as misunderstood male passion over beautiful women.

This campaign created an affective economy: acid attacks became a way for society to recognize and enforce beauty standards, linking it to national identity. Violence toward women gained meaning while potentially increasing its effectiveness in excluding them socially.

• Key Finding: The "Colombia Is Passion" campaign directly influenced the rise of acid attacks as an intelligible form of violence against women.
• Implication: This demonstrates how cultural narratives can shape and legitimize violent behavior beyond armed conflict.

to explain important variations in gender-based violence. Using qualitative analysis, I show that interpretive studies help understand how public emotions and national identity frameworks structure these unique patterns.