Colombia reports 74 child recruitment cases in first half of 2026

The Colombian Defensoría del Pueblo recorded 74 cases of forced recruitment of children and adolescents between January and June 2026. Boys accounted for 65 % of the victims and girls for 35 %. Ethnic breakdown shows 28 % indigenous, 12 % Afro‑Colombian and the remainder not identifying with a group.

The groups most implicated were the Central High Command of FARC dissidents (28.4 % of cases), unidentified dissident factions (24.3 %), the ELN (21.6 %) and the Central High Command of Blocks and Fronts (18.9 %). The departments with the highest numbers were Cauca (29 cases) and Norte de Santander (17 cases). The total for the first half of 2026 is lower than the 419 cases recorded for all of 2025, but the Defensoría warned that under‑reporting remains a major concern because families fear retaliation.