A court in Bogotá has ordered the Colombian government to hold off on airstrikes against armed groups whenever there’s reliable evidence that children recruited or used by those groups might be at the target site. The ruling came in response to a “tutela”—a fast-track constitutional petition Colombians can file to protect fundamental rights—brought on behalf of minors who may be caught up in illegal armed groups.
The order targets President Abelardo De La Espriella, his defense and interior ministers, and the top commanders of the army, air force and navy. It follows three military bombing operations launched since August 7 against the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions loyal to alias “Calarcá” and alias “Iván Mordisco.” Those strikes have killed 41 people so far, including four minors.
Judge Zulma Rocío of Bogotá’s 34th Family Court stressed the measure is provisional, not a blanket suspension of military operations. It applies specifically when authorities have “objective or reasonably verifiable” intelligence that recruited children are present at a planned strike site. Citing recent bombings in the Catatumbo and Guaviare regions where minors reportedly died, the judge said Colombia’s constitution grants children reinforced protections that don’t disappear simply because they were forced or coerced into joining armed groups.
You can read the full report, including the legal precedents cited, at the link to El Tiempo above.
Source: Juez frena bombardeos cuando haya información sobre presencia de menores reclutados en objetivos militares (eltiempo.com). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: V. Kiselev / В. Киселев, BY-SA 3.0 (via Openverse).