Bogotá, October 14 (teleSUR-RHC)-- A total of 130 acts of violence have been registered against candidates in the lead-up to the upcoming local elections in Colombia, the non-governmental organization Electoral Observation Mission told El Espectator newspaper Monday.

Violence against candidates is a common feature in elections in Colombia, though figures for this year's election suggest that violence is born out of local conditions instead of targeted attacks against opposition political parties.

In the past, paramilitary groups and other illegally armed actors would conduct targeted assignations and intimidation efforts against candidates seen as a threat to established interests.

“We were used to seeing violence directed at opposition parties. This change in dynamics leads us to understand that instead of a process of elimination of an opponent, this is more related to local dynamics and therefore we cannot make generalizations,” Alejandra Barrios, director of the Electoral Observation Mission told El Espectator.

Barrios does not rule out the role played by paramilitaries and illegal armed groups, known in Colombia as “bacrims.”

According to the NGO, most of the violence has been seen in parts of the country where these groups seek to maintain their power and influence over lucrative enterprises such as drug trafficking and illegal mining.

Out of 130 incidents, the Electoral Observation Mission recorded 54 threats, 14 assassinations, 16 assassination attempts, 1 forced disappearance, and 4 kidnappings.

The figure represents a significant drop from elections in 2011, where the NGO recorded 253 acts of violence against candidates.

The drop in election-related violence is a positive sign for the ongoing peace process between the government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, which are set to set sign a final peace deal in March 2016.

Previous peace efforts between the rebels and the government failed after both state forces and paramilitary groups engaged in targeted assassinations of leftist candidates belonging to the Patriotic Union, the legal political party created by rebel groups.

Among the approximately 5,000 Patriotic Union members killed were two presidential candidates and numerous sitting lawmakers. As a result, many demobilized rebels ultimately returned to the armed struggle and guerrillas continued with their armed campaign against the state.