Shocking Report: Armed Groups Recruit Children in Colombia – Key Takeaways Revealed!

In CALDONO, Colombia (AP) — The armed factions involved in Colombia’s narcotics industry are increasingly targeting the youth in the areas they dominate for recruitment. Indigenous communities, often left to address this issue, hold the government responsible for not taking adequate action.

In the economically challenged department of Cauca in southwest Colombia, a union of Indigenous groups has recorded over 900 instances of young Indigenous individuals being recruited since 2016, with some recruits as young as 9 years old. These groups have noted a surge in recruitment activities as the armed factions intensify their cultivation of coca, the key ingredient in cocaine.

Insights derived from The Associated Press’ investigation into child recruitment include:

Colombia’s Ongoing Conflict

Colombia has been plagued by internal conflicts for over fifty years, which persist to this day. The battles for territorial control have involved leftist rebels, right-wing paramilitaries, and criminal organizations. Although a peace agreement in 2016 concluded the longstanding war with FARC, Colombia’s most prominent rebel group, violence has continued unabated. Groups like the FARC dissidents, who have been active since the 1960s, and the Clan del Golfo, the nation’s predominant narcotrafficking gang, still recruit minors and retain significant influence.

In areas dominated by these dissidents, locals report that these groups exert control over every aspect of daily life. A teacher from a village near Caldono, encircled by dense forests and coca fields guarded by armed factions, noted that these groups maintain a constant presence around the school, with several young students, some as young as 11, joining their ranks.

Indigenous Resistance to Recruitment

The Nasa people’s Indigenous Guard, established in 2001, aims to safeguard Indigenous territories from both armed groups and environmental degradation. Since 2020, they have observed a marked increase in the recruitment of children, paralleling the expansion of guerrilla operations in narcotics cultivation. Members of the Guard have intensified their patrols around educational institutions, such as the school near Caldono, in efforts to deter these recruitment drives. Additionally, they have launched rescue operations to recover abducted children.

Patricia Elago Zetty, a 39-year-old member of the Guard, recounted to the AP her daunting journey across mountainous terrains to retrieve her 13-year-old son and another teenager, who were suspected of being taken by guerrillas three years ago. She and her unarmed team were halted at gunpoint, facing tense moments before the boys were released. However, not all missions conclude successfully, with some factions refusing to return recruits who are above a certain age.

Government Inaction

Scott Campbell, the United Nations’ human rights chief in Colombia, criticized the government’s response as “ineffective and untimely,” pointing out the sporadic presence of the state and its failure to collaborate with Indigenous authorities on preventive measures. The Indigenous Councils Association of Northern Cauca, or ACIN, expressed that the government has allowed armed groups to step in and provide essential services like roads and food in remote and neglected regions.

Colombia’s Family Welfare Institute, or ICBF — the primary agency for child protection — claims it supports community programs and Indigenous-led initiatives that have facilitated the disengagement of 251 children from armed groups in the first half of 2025. The ICBF asserts its cooperation with Indigenous authorities and pressures armed groups to adhere to the prohibition against minor recruitment.

A Former Recruit’s Effort to Prevent Recruitment

A young woman who escaped from the FARC dissidents, and wished to remain anonymous due to fear of reprisal, shared that she joined the armed group at 16 not out of coercion, but to flee familial issues. While with the group, her duties involved cooking, organizing supplies, and cleaning weapons. Initially fearful, she did not face mistreatment but decided to flee following a change in leadership which she feared could lead to harsher conditions or increased combat risks. Now, she assists a local initiative aiding families in preventing their children from being recruited, advising teens on the dangers of joining armed groups and counseling parents on the importance of maintaining open communication with their children.