HRW Says Colombian Armed Groups Recruit 1,500 Children for Drone Warfare Since 2021
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 24
HRW Says Colombian Armed Groups Recruit 1,500 Children for Drone Warfare Since 2021
3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 24
Summary
At least 1,500 children have been recruited by Colombian armed groups since 2021, Human Rights Watch said, with some now trained to pilot explosives-laden drones in potentially lethal missions.
The watchdog said gangs and rebel factions are exploiting weak state presence in rural areas and using social media to lure minors as they fight for drug, extortion and illegal-mining territory.
Human Rights Watch said it verified social-media videos showing children using armed drones; Colombia’s ombudsman separately recorded 121 drone attacks in the first five months of 2026, killing 21 people and injuring 145.
Nearly half of reported recruitment cases involved Indigenous children, who are 4% of Colombia’s population, while girls accounted for 40%; HRW said a FARC dissident group led by Ivan Mordisco is tied to most cases.
The report urged Bogota to step up prosecutions and rural prevention efforts, and pressed Meta and TikTok to improve reporting channels and preserve evidence after both said they removed flagged accounts.
How are Colombian cartels turning video game skills into lethal weapons by manipulating children through social media algorithms?
With explosive drones treated as toys, what can stop armed factions from exploiting digital platforms to recruit vulnerable youth?
1,500 Children Recruited for Drone Warfare in Colombia: How Armed Groups, Social Media, and State Gaps Fuel a Crisis
Overview
In Colombia, armed groups are exploiting children by training them to operate weaponized drones, using gamified methods and virtual reality to lower their resistance to violence. These children, especially from poor Indigenous and rural backgrounds, are lured with promises of money or basic goods and then exposed to severe psychological trauma. Social media algorithms on platforms like TikTok and Facebook amplify recruitment content, reaching vulnerable youth before moderation can intervene. The Colombian state’s failure to fill power vacuums after the 2016 peace agreement, combined with near-total legal impunity for recruiters and unequal rehabilitation for victims, has allowed this crisis to escalate unchecked.