Colombian Judge Orders Government to Halt Bombings Where Recruited Children May Be Present

A Bogotá judge has ordered Colombia’s government and armed forces to stop bombing camps belonging to illegal armed groups whenever there is information or evidence that recruited children may be inside.

Judge Viviana Arciniegas issued the precautionary measure after admitting a constitutional protection action filed by Ower Jimmy Borda Parra on behalf of children and adolescents affected by forced recruitment. The order immediately suspends air attacks until the court reaches a final decision and authorities adopt strict procedures for checking who is present at the target.

The ruling says offensive air operations may proceed only when available intelligence and applicable protocols show that no less harmful alternative can achieve the legitimate military objective. It directly binds the presidency, the Defense Ministry and the military command, giving priority to children’s rights.

The decision came one week after Colombia’s National Institute of Legal Medicine confirmed that three minors, two aged 15 and one aged 16, died in an Aug. 27 bombing of FARC dissidents in a rural area of El Retorno, in Guaviare. Another minor died in similar circumstances in Catatumbo on Aug. 10.

The national government defended the military operation as effective, arguing that the combatants represented a legitimate tactical target. The court’s order opens a new legal debate as government air incursions increase. Colombia’s Ombudsman’s Office has documented 1,173 cases of child recruitment by illegal armed structures between 2024 and July 2026.