Colombia: FARC Dissidents Recruit Children for Illegal Drug and Gold Wars

In Colombia, splinter groups of the former FARC guerrillas, known as dissidents, are intensifying conflicts over drug trafficking and illegal gold mining territories. Despite the peace agreement signed a decade ago, these economically motivated factions continue to forcibly recruit minors, with children comprising at least 45 percent of new recruits. The article highlights the stories of Sol, recruited at eleven, and Ramón, joined at sixteen due to poverty, illustrating how armed groups exploit vulnerable youth as cannon fodder and human shields. According to the Forum of Humanitarian NGOs, the number of active fighters has doubled since 2021, exceeding 25,000. Experts attribute this surge to President Gustavo Petro’s security policy, which favors dialogue over military confrontation, allowing armed groups to strengthen their economic bases and recruitment networks. Children as young as ten are utilized for dangerous tasks, including setting explosives and operating drones, before being sent into direct combat. The violence remains particularly acute in regions like the Cauca mountains, where recent bombings on major highways underscore the ongoing instability. This report exposes the humanitarian crisis persisting in post-conflict Colombia, where ideological motives have been replaced by pure criminal profit, devastating local communities and destroying the lives of countless children.