A Bogotá judge ordered this Thursday, September 3, to suspend air attacks when there is information about the presence of minors. The decision comes after the death of four teenagers in military operations and in the midst of the offensive against armed groups promoted by the new Government of Abelardo de la Espriella.

First modification: 09/03/2026 - 23:37 Last modification: 09/03/2026 - 23:37

A court in Bogotá this Thursday ordered the Colombian president, Abelardo de la Espriella, and the Armed Forces to refrain from bombing targets of armed groups when there is information about the possible presence of minors.

The decision comes a week after the National Institute of Legal Medicine reported that three minors died in a military operation against a group of FARC dissidents in a rural area of ​​the municipality of El Retorno, in the department of Guaviare, in the center of the country.

It comes less than a month after another teenage victim was reported after a bombing in Catatumbo.

The 34th Family Judge of Bogotá, Viviana Arciniegas, adopted the decision as a provisional measure within a protection action (amparo appeal).

The order establishes that authorities must suspend offensive air operations while a substantive decision is made and until “the necessary precautionary and protective measures” have been implemented and verified.

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The ruling responds to a protection presented by Ower Jimmy Borda Parra, who acted as an unofficial agent for children and adolescents recruited or used by armed groups who may be in camps or areas susceptible to attack by public forces.

The judge noted that deployments can only be carried out when, in accordance with the available information and the applicable operational protocols, “it is determined that there is no less harmful alternative to achieve the legitimate military objective.”

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Arciniegas also considered that the recent operations in Guaviare and Catatumbo show, preliminarily, a “serious and imminent” threat to fundamental rights such as the life and integrity of minors. He warned that waiting until a final decision could render any subsequent protection ineffective given the irreversible nature of the damage.

The judge clarified that this is not a general prohibition of bombings, but rather seeks to apply the precautionary principle in the possible presence of minors, without impeding the legitimate operations of the public force.

Three minors killed in Guaviare

On August 27, three minors died in a bombing by the Colombian Army against a group of FARC dissidents in a rural area of ​​El Retorno.

Forensic Medicine confirmed that three of the ten bodies recovered after the operation corresponded to minors: two were 15 years old and the third was 16.

The Government defended the legality of the operation and pointed out that the minors were part of the armed group, so they were considered a “legitimate target.”

The case was added to the death of another minor in a bombing carried out on August 10 against the National Liberation Army (ELN) in the Catatumbo region, in the northeast of the country, and reopened the debate on the use of air operations against armed groups that recruit children and adolescents.

The judicial decision also orders the Presidency, the Ministry of Defense, the General Command of the Military Forces, the Army, the Aerospace Force and the Navy to adopt “all necessary measures” to guarantee its immediate compliance and observe the best interests and the prevalence of the rights of minors.

The provisional measure will be in force while the court adopts a substantive decision on the protection, so it does not yet mean a definitive ruling on the legality of the military operations. However, since it is a mandatory court order, failure to comply may result in sanctions for the responsible officials.

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An offensive that “will not stop”

The court order represents a limit to one of the main security bets of the De la Espriella Administration, which has intensified operations against armed groups since coming to power.

In his first three weeks in office, three bombings were carried out: one against the ELN in Catatumbo and another two against FARC dissidents in Guaviare. At least four minors died in the first two attacks.

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One day before the judicial decision was announced, De la Espriella had defended the intensification of military operations and assured that the offensive would continue.

"I did not come to negotiate with murderers, extortionists and recruiters of minors. I came to defeat them with all the legitimate force of the arms of the Republic and the rule of law."

De la Espriella also assured that the offensive “will not stop tomorrow or next week.”

The death of the minors also opened a political front for the Government. Nineteen opposition congressmen presented a motion of censure against the Minister of Defense, Jorge Eduardo Mora, who is required to explain what information the authorities had about the presence of minors before the Guaviare bombing and what measures were adopted to protect them.

The controversy occurs in a country where the recruitment of minors continues as one of the main scourges of the armed conflict. According to the Ombudsman's Office, between 2024 and July 31, 2026, there were 1,173 cases of recruitment of children and adolescents in Colombia.

With EFE and local media

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