Honduran and Ecuadorian officials warn of child recruitment by criminal groups

In Honduras, Migdonia Ayestas, coordinator of the University of Honduras Violence Observatory, said criminal groups are using romantic relationships to lure adolescents, with some girls as young as 16 being killed when they refuse to join. She warned that victims face threats, forced displacement or death, and called for stronger prevention and protection measures.

In Ecuador, Alejandro Javier Campos Martínez, regional director for the Caribbean, Bermuda and Latin America at Crime Stoppers International, testified before the National Assembly about a draft law to curb the recruitment of children by organized crime. He highlighted a shift to digital tactics, including video games and social‑media platforms, driven by poverty, lack of opportunities and the pandemic, and urged tighter sanctions and preventive actions.