Colombia’s Ombudswoman urged President Gustavo Petro to suspend air strikes on alleged guerrilla units that killed at least 15 minors in four operations since August.

In a post on social media platform X, Ombudswoman Iris Marin urged Petro to suspend aerial bombardments of “targets where there may be recruited minors.”

Marin additionally said that the Ombudsman’s Office “demands the unconditional release of all recruited minors.”

The ombudswoman urged to take action after Medical Examiner Ariel Cortes confirmed that it had identified the remains of eight boys and seven girls who were killed in army bombardments units since August.

All killed minors are believed to be victims of forced recruitment, mainly by guerrilla organization EMC.

Minors killed since August

• August 24 – El Retorno, Guaviare
  Eight dead, including two boys and one girl
• October 1 – Puerto Santander, Amazonas
  Four dead, three boys and one girl
• November 12 – Calamar, Guaviare
  Twenty dead, including four girls and three boys
• November 13 – Puerto Rondon, Arauca
  Eight dead, including one girl

Cortes released the information after House Representative Katherine Miranda called Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez to Congress for a debate and a possible vote of no confidence.

The Petro administration has come under tremendous pressure over the killing of victims of forced recruitment since it resumed aerial bombardments on suspected guerrilla targets in July of 2024.

The president and his defense minister have insisted that they have not authorized bombardments in events that military intelligence was aware of children being present at the targeted sites.

Leonardo Gonzalez, the director of conflict monitoring NGO Indepaz, said the army should have known better when it comes to EMC targets because of this group’s involvement in forced recruitment.

The risk of children dying in the attack on the EMC was not only high but predictable, given the high numbers of minors used by the armed group.

Leonardo Gonzalez

Statistics released by Senator Ivan Cepeda, an opponent of air strikes on guerrilla targets, suggest that the resumption of the bombardments has increased the risk for minor victims of forced recruitment.

Former President Ivan Duque authorized 21 air strikes that killed at least 22 minors and children.

According to Petro, he has so far authorized 12 aerial bombardments that killed 15 minors and children in the most recent four alone.