US Edition
Colombia's Coca Expansion Fuels Rise in Child Recruitment by Armed Factions
Since 2016, over 900 Indigenous youths have been recruited by armed groups exploiting drug trade routes, while community-led rescue efforts have helped 251 children leave armed factions in 2025.
- Recently, Patricia Elago Zetty and five Indigenous Guard members of the Nasa people trekked into guerrilla territory to recover her son Stiven and another boy after negotiations.
- Amid government neglect, the Indigenous Councils Association of Northern Cauca warns armed groups recruit minors with basic services, including cash, food, and cosmetic treatments.
- Colombia’s Ombudsman’s Office reports several child recruitment cases, with 251 children leaving armed groups, according to recent data.
- Amid rising threats, the Indigenous Guard has increased patrols at schools near Caldono to deter recruiters, as the source does not specify member deaths.
- Calling for consistent state presence, Scott Campbell, United Nations human rights chief in Colombia, highlighted the government's response `ineffective and untimely` and failure to partner with Indigenous authorities.
23 Articles
23 Articles
Takeaways from AP's reporting on armed groups recruiting children in Colombia
The Indigenous Guard of the Nasa people formed in Colombia in 2001 to protect Indigenous territories from armed groups and from environmental destruction such as deforestation and illegal mining
Unarmed Indigenous groups protecting Colombian children from violent guerrillas (World)
When Patricia Elago Zetty's 13-year-old son went missing in Colombia's conflict-ridden southwest, she didn't hesitate. Elago and five fellow members of the Indigenous Guard trekked across mountainous terrain to confront the guerrillas they suspected of taking her son and another teenager to bolster ...
Associated Press News
Violent guerrillas are taking Colombia's children. Unarmed Indigenous groups are confronting them
The Indigenous Guard of the Nasa people formed in Colombia in 2001 to protect Indigenous territories from armed groups and from environmental destruction such as deforestation and illegal mining.
Colombia's Indigenous Guard Risks Everything to Bring Recruited Children Home
In the mountains of Cauca, unarmed Indigenous Guards walk straight into guerrilla camps to bring back children. They carry no rifles, only sacred staffs, betting on moral authority to face down men who answer to war instead of law.In the mountains of Cauca, unarmed Indigenous Guards walk straight into guerrilla camps to bring back children. They carry no rifles, only sacred staffs, betting on moral authority to face down men who answer to war in…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
