What Dejusticia does

Dejusticia (legally Corporación Centro de Estudios de Derecho, Justicia y Sociedad) is a Colombian non-profit legal research-action center headquartered in Bogotá, Colombia, founded in 2003 by eight legal and academic professionals and operational since 2005. The organization employs 112 staff and operates across 12 thematic research lines spanning ethnic-racial justice, rule of law, environmental justice, economic justice, transitional justice, fiscal justice, drug policy, judicial system reform, land and rural issues, gender, regionalization, and transparency and digital rights. Its core methodology — termed the 'amphibious approach' — bridges rigorous academic research with direct action through strategic public interest litigation, evidence-based policy advocacy, and capacity-building programs for human rights defenders in the Global South.

The organization's product portfolio comprises five integrated lines: the Portal de Publicaciones (an open-access digital repository of research, policy briefs, and academic studies), the Escuela Global (a global education program offering courses and workshops including the annual Global School for human rights defenders), the Relatos Anfibios blog (where 100+ trained activists publish weekly reflections), Litigio Estratégico (strategic public interest litigation services before Colombian High Courts and international human rights bodies), and HR Cases (a multimedia case study platform used in workshops). The organization has secured landmark Constitutional Court rulings including protection of indigenous Awá communities from Transandino Pipeline oil spills and a historic ruling against school discrimination protecting an LGBTIQ+ defender, and contributed to Colombia becoming the first tropical forest country to pass cattle traceability legislation addressing deforestation.

Dejusticia's revenue model is grant-based: the organization receives donations and grants from national and international development funds to support projects and administrative expenses, operating under Colombia's Special Tax Regime. It sells no products or services, providing all publications, educational programs, and legal resources free of charge. Distribution occurs through non-commercial channels including direct engagement with Colombian High Courts (Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, Council of State), international human rights bodies (Inter-American Court and Commission on Human Rights, UN mechanisms), government agencies, civil society organizations, and open-access digital platforms reaching a global audience. The organization is governed by a General Assembly, Board of Directors, and executive team led by Director Diana Esther Guzmán Rodríguez (appointed November 2022).

Name

Dejusticia

Legal name

Corporación Centro de Estudios de Derecho, Justicia y Sociedad - Dejusticia

Website

https://dejusticia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Dejusticia is a Colombian non-profit legal research-action center founded in 2003 that uses strategic litigation, policy advocacy, research, and education to advance human rights and rule of law in Colombia and the Global South, serving civil society, courts, and policymakers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human Rights Legal Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Human Rights Monitoring, Documentation & Advocacy (BPADAGAK), Criminal Justice Reform & Legal System Advocacy (BPAGAFAI), Alternative Dispute Resolution & Restorative Justice Programs (BPAIAFAL), Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

Keywords

• Human rights research
• Public interest litigation
• Legal advocacy
• Policy reform
• Civil society education

Headquarters

HQ city

Bogotá

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Dejusticia is a non-profit organization (Corporación Centro de Estudios de Derecho, Justicia y Sociedad) that receives donations and grants from national and international development funds to fund projects and administrative expenses. Financial reports detail the origin of resources, including donors, values, and destination of donations as required by Colombian tax law (Ley 1819 de 2016).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Dejusticia is a non-profit research-action center that conducts legal and social research, strategic public interest litigation, policy advocacy, and educational programs to strengthen human rights and the rule of law in Colombia and the Global South. The organization integrates academic research with direct action through litigation before high courts, evidence-based policy proposals, and capacity building for civil society and human rights defenders.

Product overview

Dejusticia operates as a unified legal research and action center offering five integrated product lines: a digital publications portal (Portal de Publicaciones) for accessing research and policy work; the Escuela Global (Global School) education program providing courses and workshops for human rights defenders; Relatos Anfibios, a blog platform documenting activist experiences; strategic litigation services (Litigio Estratégico) before Colombian courts and international bodies; and HR Cases, a multimedia educational resource. The organization does not follow a platform-plus-modules architecture but rather a thematic approach organized into ten research lines (Estado de Derecho, Género, Justicia Ambiental, Justicia Económica, Justicia Fiscal, Justicia Étnico-Racial, Justicia Transicional, Política de Drogas, Sistema Judicial, Tierras y Campesinado) that inform all products and services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Portal de Publicaciones Digital publication repository that compiles all research publications, academic studies, policy proposals, and educational materials produced by Dejusticia and partner organizations in the human rights field, freely accessible to the public.
• Escuela Global Global education program offering courses, workshops, and research-action training for human rights defenders from the Global South, including the annual Global School for young defenders.
• Relatos Anfibios Blog Blog platform where over 100 young activists from the Global School share weekly reflections on human rights defense in the Global South, documenting their experiences and research.
• Litigio Estratégico Strategic public interest litigation services before Colombian High Courts (Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, Council of State) and international human rights bodies, including drafting demands, amicus curiae briefs, and coadyuvancias in human rights cases.
• HR Cases Multimedia case study platform developed by Dejusticia used in workshops and courses to analyze successful human rights strategies and tactics implemented by organizations across different regions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Constitutional Court ruling protecting indigenous Awá communities from Transandino Pipeline oil spills and ordering integral reparation
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Fundación JacarandascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 November 2025Co-petitioner in electoral nullity case against Carlos Camargo's election to the Council of State, filed jointly with Dejusticia and other civil society organizations
• Colectivo de Abogados y Abogadas José Alvear Restrepo (CAJAR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 November 2025Co-petitioner in electoral nullity case before the Council of State, collaborating with Dejusticia and other organizations on constitutional matters
• Instituto Latinoamericano para una Sociedad y un Derecho Alternativos (ILSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 November 2025Co-petitioner in electoral nullity case, working with Dejusticia and allied organizations on human rights litigation
• Facultad de Derecho y Ciencias Políticas (Universidad Nacional de Colombia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 November 2025Academic partner in electoral nullity case, contributing legal expertise and institutional support to the coalition

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Fundación Karisma: Colombia-based digital rights and civic-tech organization overlapping thematically with Dejusticia's 'Transparencia y Derechos Digitales' line. Smaller and more focused on digital rights, but a comparable research-advocacy model in the Colombian context.

Direct peers

• Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS): Argentina-based human rights organization that combines legal research, strategic litigation, and policy advocacy. Highly comparable to Dejusticia as a fellow Latin American legal research-action center with similar thematic reach and court access.
• Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL): Regional organization litigating before the Inter-American human rights system with strong overlap to Dejusticia's amicus and Inter-American Court engagement. Comparable on advocacy + litigation integration across Latin America.
• Colectivo de Abogados y Abogadas José Alvear Restrepo (CAJAR): Colombia-based public interest law firm running strategic litigation and accompaniment of victims before domestic and inter-American courts. Functions as both a co-litigant (per recent electoral nullity case) and a direct peer to Dejusticia in Colombian constitutional litigation.
• Instituto Latinoamericano para una Sociedad y un Derecho Alternativos (ILSA): Bogotá-based legal research and social justice organization focusing on human rights, environmental justice, and democratic governance in Latin America. Direct peer and named co-petitioner with Dejusticia.
• Due Process of Law Foundation (DPLF): Hemispheric rule-of-law organization working on judicial independence, transparency, and human rights in Latin America. Comparable institutional profile and funder base to Dejusticia.
• Comisión Colombiana de Juristas (CCJ): Colombia-based human rights legal organization using litigation, documentation, and advocacy on similar thematic issues (conflict victims, rule of law). Direct domestic competitor and occasional collaborator in constitutional litigation.

Broad incumbents

• Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA): U.S.-based policy and advocacy organization influencing Latin America human-rights and rule-of-law outcomes. Comparable on research-to-policy advocacy pipeline, with broader geographic and policy scope and a more donor-visible footprint.
• Human Rights Watch - Americas Division: Global research and advocacy organization producing country reports and engaging courts and inter-governmental bodies on similar thematic issues in Colombia and the region. Much larger global mandate, but the Americas division is functionally a direct thematic peer.
• Amnesty International - Americas: Global human-rights organization with a major Latin America program engaging courts and policymakers on overlapping issues. Operates at a much larger scale and geographic breadth than Dejusticia but comparable in combining research, litigation support, and advocacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dejusticia
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@DejusticiaVideo
• Facebookfacebook.com/Dejusticia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dejusticia
• Instagraminstagram.com/dejusticia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dejusticia