Six minors have been killed in airstrikes targeting drug-trafficking guerrilla groups in Colombia since right-wing President Abelardo de la Espriella took office on August 7, authorities said.
The president has ordered three bombardments against guerrilla camps, leaving at least 42 people dead. The latest deaths have sparked concerns over the use of airstrikes when armed groups may have recruited children.
Two 16-year-olds were killed in an August 31 strike in the Amazonian region of Guaviare that left 24 suspected members of a dissident FARC faction dead. Four other minors were killed in two earlier bombardments in Guaviare and the northeastern Catatumbo region near Venezuela.
A judge has now ordered the government to suspend strikes on guerrilla camps when intelligence indicates that minors recruited by armed groups may be present.
De la Espriella, a strong ally of US President Donald Trump, has taken a hard-line approach against Colombia’s armed groups, abandoning peace talks initiated by the previous government. He has vowed to dismantle groups involved in drug trafficking, illegal mining and extortion.
The president’s military campaign has faced criticism after he shared social media posts highlighting the deaths of suspected rebels. Rights organisations have warned that children are increasingly being recruited by armed groups and subsequently exposed to combat.
Colombia’s ombudsman recorded 428 cases of child recruitment by armed groups in 2024. Human Rights Watch has also warned that recruited children are sometimes being used as “cannon fodder.”
The controversy comes despite previous governments also conducting airstrikes against rebel camps where minors were reportedly present. The latest developments have renewed debate over the protection of children during Colombia’s long-running armed conflict.
