Colombia will suspend bombing in guerrilla camps where there are minors

The Colombian army will stop bombing the camps of illegal armed groups when it is assumed that there are minors forcibly recruited, authorities said Thursday.

“Any military action against members of illegal armed organizations it cannot endanger the lives of these victims of violenceDefense Minister Iván Velásquez told reporters.

is approx change of the Gustavo Petro government regarding the guidelines given by previous governments to continue with the attack despite the questioning of social and political organizations.

In October 2021 a member of Congress reported the death of four minors during a military operation against the guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN). At that moment the armed forces defended the legitimacy and legality of the operation.

Assessment

The new commander of the Armed Forces, General Helder Giraldo Bonilla, told the press will be evaluated on a case by case basis if the bombing proceeds according to military intelligence information obtained.

Colombian children continue to be victims of the illegal armed groups that persist in the country, despite the fact that in 2016 the state signed a peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which was the oldest guerilla warfare in Colombia. .

At least 7,000 minors dissociated from armed groups from 1999 to 2021according to the Colombian Institute for Family Welfare.

The suspension of the bombing will be one of the first operational changes made by the recently installed government of Gustavo Petro, the first center-left president in the history of the country, who changed the military leadership and in charge of guaranteeing the protection of human rights and favor the catch on the dead.

The head of the defense portfolio assured that the new guideline is the “absolute respect for the communities” and the development of programs that contribute to their well-being, namely the use of the capabilities of military and naval forces to support emergencies, provide humanitarian aid and transport to remote areas.

Last

In his statement to the media, Velásquez suggested not to repeat “very painful acts of the past”, referring to repeated complaints from civil society and the opposition for the deaths of minors in the attacks during the right-wing government Iván Duque (2018-2022) . ).

As a priority, the Petro government promotes a “total peace” project and seeks to sign agreements with the illegal armed groups that persist in the country such as the National Liberation Guerrilla Army (ELN) – with which it has already initiated rapprochements in Cuba – and criminal gangs engaged in drug trafficking.

Velásquez indicated that the pursuit of peace does not mean weakness or surrender by the government or the armed forces. He added that only to the extent that concrete actions of the will to negotiate are highlighted, can the terms of the acts of the public force against the armed forces be modified.