Colombian opposition files censure motion against Defense Minister

Nineteen opposition members of the Colombian House of Representatives have filed a motion of censure against Defense Minister Jorge Eduardo Mora López. The legal action follows a military operation in the rural area of El Retorno, Guaviare, targeting FARC dissident structures led by an individual known as ‘Calarcá’.

While the military operation resulted in the deaths of 10 alleged criminal group members, forensic reports from Medicina Legal confirmed that three of the deceased were minors aged between 15 and 16. The government has defended the strike, stating the adolescents were performing combat functions.

However, the opposition argues that the Minister holds political responsibility for operational policies that led to these deaths. They contend that under Constitutional Court jurisprudence, recruited minors must be treated as vulnerable victims of conflict regardless of their participation in armed groups. The motion of censure questions the intelligence assessments used prior to the bombing and calls for greater accountability regarding the protection of minors from forced recruitment.