A local court in Colombia has ordered the government of President Abelardo de la Espriella to suspend aerial bombardments against rebel camps if intelligence indicates that recruited minors are present.
The temporary injunction, issued on Thursday by a court in the city of San Jose del Guaviare, stops air operations against armed groups whenever information points to the potential presence of children and teenagers.
The judicial order applies specifically to the southern department of Guaviare, an Amazonian region where President de la Espriella recently ordered two military air strikes. Those operations resulted in 33 deaths among dissidents of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC.
On Sunday, Colombia's forensic service reported that three of the victims killed in the first bombing raid were minors aged between 15 and 16. Authorities have not yet disclosed whether any minors were among the casualties of the second air strike.
Legal challenge and presidential policy
The protective measure, which was reviewed by news agency Agence France-Presse, will remain in effect while the court considers a legal petition filed by a citizen. The appeal accuses the government and the military of violating the fundamental rights of minors.
President de la Espriella, a hard-right leader who assumed office nearly a month ago, has committed to a tough policy against groups linked to drug trafficking. His strategy relies heavily on mass aerial bombardments and the extradition of suspects to the United States.
On Monday, de la Espriella defended the military actions, praising the air strikes against criminal elements who he said had for decades recruited minors to turn them into fighters or human shields. The Ministry of Defense also defended the raids, stating that all operations complied fully with legal regulations.
Controversy over strike video
President de la Espriella has drawn sharp criticism after releasing a video in which he expressed satisfaction over one of the military bombings. The footage showed the Colombian leader walking among approximately 20 corpses of fallen rebels covered in white sheets.
Child recruitment in Colombia
The court decision comes amid growing concern over child recruitment by illegal armed groups seeking to expand their territorial control across Colombia. Human Rights Watch reported that official figures show at least 1,500 cases of children or adolescents being recruited since 2021.
Deaths of minors during military bombing campaigns have previously sparked intense political debate in Colombia. Human rights groups recorded similar minor casualties in military operations during the administrations of former social democratic president Gustavo Petro, who served from 2022 to 2026, and former conservative president Ivan Duque, who led the country from 2018 to 2022.
