Colombia's Armed Groups Turn to Children for Drone Warfare, HRW Says

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has raised fresh alarm over the escalating recruitment of children by armed groups in Colombia, who are now being trained for a new and particularly dangerous role: piloting drones rigged with explosives.

In a report released Monday, the watchdog detailed how drug gangs and rebel factions are using social media platforms to lure minors, particularly in rural areas where they profit from drug trafficking, extortion, and illegal mining. The groups are exploiting weak state presence to assert control over territories once held by the FARC rebels.

"Armed groups in Colombia are recruiting children with impunity," said Juanita Goebertus, HRW's Americas director. "Protection systems are failing, and social media platforms have become a more effective recruiting ground."

The report comes as data from Colombia's Human Rights Defenders' Office shows at least 1,500 children have been recruited since 2021, with 625 cases reported in 2024 alone. While a 2016 peace deal with the FARC had slowed recruitment, smaller rebel groups and criminal organizations are now filling the vacuum, fighting over abandoned territories.

HRW verified social media videos showing children operating explosive-laden drones and interviewed family protection officers working with demobilized minors. The report notes that released children say armed groups describe drone operation as a game, not as participation in armed conflict.

The trend is stark: Colombia's Human Rights Defenders' Office recorded 121 drone attacks in the first five months of this year, killing 21 people and injuring 145. HRW also identified dozens of social media accounts that glorify life in rebel groups, with algorithms on platforms like Meta and TikTok appearing to promote such content. Both companies told HRW they prohibit violence-promoting content and removed flagged accounts.

A FARC holdout faction led by commander Ivan Mordisco is reportedly responsible for most recruitment cases, particularly in the Cauca region. Nearly half of all cases since 2021 involved Indigenous children, who make up just 4% of the population, and girls account for 40% of all recruits.

HRW is urging the Colombian government to increase prosecutions of recruiters and strengthen prevention efforts in rural areas. The group also calls on social media companies to create easy reporting channels and preserve evidence for prosecutors. There was no immediate government response to the report.