Rebel groups in Colombia use social media to recruit children, rights group says

Key Points:

• Human Rights Watch reports that drug gangs and rebel groups in Colombia are increasingly recruiting children for dangerous tasks, including piloting explosives-laden drones, often using social media for recruitment.
• Since 2021, at least 1,500 children have been recruited by armed groups, with 625 cases reported in 2024, marking a resurgence in child recruitment following a decline after the 2016 peace deal with FARC.
• Rebel groups, particularly a FARC holdout led by Ivan Mordisco, heavily recruit in rural areas like Cauca, with Indigenous children disproportionately affected, comprising nearly half of reported cases despite being only 4% of the population.
• Social media platforms such as Meta and TikTok have been criticized for algorithms that appear to promote content glorifying rebel life, though both companies state they prohibit violent content and have removed flagged accounts.
• Human Rights Watch urges the Colombian government to increase prosecution efforts against recruiters and improve prevention in rural areas, while calling on social media companies to create better reporting mechanisms and preserve evidence for legal action.