Following the U.S.’s demand for tougher measures against drug trafficking, the government of Colombia has stepped up its operations against armed groups in recent weeks. At least 28 people were killed in airstrikes last week.
According to official statements, 15 children have died in operations that have been ongoing since the beginning of August.
Human rights organizations and prosecutors announced that investigations have been launched into the deaths of children in attacks carried out in the Guaviare, Caquetá, and Arauca regions.
President Gustavo Petro stated that these children were “victims forced into combat by armed groups.”
In the meantime, the Ombudsman’s Office of Colombia called on the army to take the utmost care to protect children.
The forced recruitment of children in the country is considered one of the most serious human rights violations in the conflict, which has lasted for over sixty years.
It is alleged that even after the 2016 peace agreement with the FARC, some armed groups continue to recruit children.
As the Petro government approaches the final year of its term, it is criticized both for failing to make progress in peace negotiations and for experiencing the country’s most severe security crisis in the last decade.