Armed groups use TikTok, Facebook to recruit children in Colombia

Armed groups in Colombia are increasingly using social media platforms like TikTok and Facebook to recruit children and adolescents, according to a Human Rights Watch report. At least 1,500 minors have been recruited since 2021, with a significant surge in cases starting in 2023. These groups lure vulnerable youth with deceptive offers of money, power, and prestige.

The report, titled "I Thought I Would Never See My Mom Again," highlights that the Colombian state's response has failed to prevent recruitment, protect victims, or punish those responsible. The investigation, based on interviews and data from the Ombudsman's Office, found that FARC dissidents were responsible for 74% of documented cases between 2021 and 2025, with the Estado Mayor Central implicated in the highest number of recruitments.

The department of Cauca, a region rife with disputes over territory and illegal economies like coca production, accounts for nearly 57% of the cases. Indigenous populations are disproportionately affected, making up almost half of the documented victims despite representing only about 4% of Colombia's population. More than 30% of recruited children were between 10 and 14 years old, an age group that, if used in hostilities, can constitute a war crime under the Rome Statute.

Girls represent approximately 40% of the cases and face a heightened risk of sexual violence within these armed structures. Armed groups exploit poverty, domestic violence, social exclusion, and educational barriers. Recruiters sometimes receive up to $1,000 per child or adolescent they bring into an organization. Social media has become a primary tool, with 44% of minors recruited in 2025 reportedly contacted through these platforms.