Bogotá, Colombia (HRNW): Human Rights Watch has warned that armed groups in Colombia are increasingly recruiting children, exploiting poverty, social exclusion, violence and barriers to education. In a major report released on 24 August 2026, the organization called on Colombia’s new administration to make child protection a central part of its security and justice policies.
Human Rights Watch reviewed government information indicating that at least 1,500 children have been recruited since 2021, with official figures showing a sharp increase in reported cases since 2023. Dissident armed groups emerging from the former FARC are responsible for the majority of reported cases.
The organization found that Indigenous children account for nearly half of reported cases, despite Indigenous people representing about 4 percent of Colombia’s population. More than 30 percent of reported cases involved children between the ages of 10 and 14, an especially serious concern under international law.
Human Rights Watch documented how armed groups are using social media platforms, private messaging and online recruitment techniques to reach children. Recruitment can involve promises of money, power and prestige, while some children are subsequently used for intelligence gathering, messaging, trafficking-related activities, guarding hostages or other dangerous tasks. Girls are also exposed to sexual violence.
The NGO’s research involved 184 interviews with government officials, humanitarian workers, Indigenous and community leaders, human-rights organizations, child-protection personnel and children affected by recruitment.
Human Rights Watch is urging authorities to provide greater resources to child-protection agencies, strengthen prevention programmes, improve reintegration services and work closely with Indigenous and local organizations. It is also calling on social-media companies to conduct stronger human-rights due diligence to prevent their platforms from facilitating child recruitment.
The report highlights the growing connection between children’s rights, education, poverty reduction, digital safety and protection from armed conflict, making child recruitment one of Colombia’s most urgent human-rights challenges.
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Disclaimer
This HRNW report summarizes research and recommendations published by Human Rights Watch. Figures concerning child recruitment and responsibility for individual cases are based on the sources and methodology described by Human Rights Watch and may be updated as additional information becomes available. HRNW maintains editorial independence.
