
This article examines the concept of political parrhesia in Colombia, drawing on Foucault’s genealogy of truth-telling in Athenian democracy. In a country traversed y a war-politics continuum, where crimes have been perpetrated against those who engage in public speech—such as journalists, educators, and social leaders—the article questions the place of truth in political discourse. It argues that Colombia constitutes a “democracy in war,” where violence and truth are managed as technologies of government. Through a historical reconstruction of the 20th century, it shows how minority collectives have practiced parrhesia through testimonial, labor union, peasant, and Indigenous forms. The article deepens Foucault’s conceptualization.