Colombia Controversy Over Seven Minors Killed in Bombings Ordered by Petro

The death of seven minors in an air operation against an armed structure of the FARC dissidents, commanded by the individual known as Ivan Mordisco in a rural area of Guaviare, has unleashed a political and ethical storm in Colombia.

The bombing, authorized by President Gustavo Petro himself, reopened a debate that for many had seemed resolved: The use of bombings against guerrilla camps where there could be the presence of children forcibly recruited.

The controversy takes on a particular tone because, for much of his term, Petro had defended the cessation of this type of operation precisely to avoid the death of minors. Today, the decision that contradicted his own doctrine on human rights has been put under scrutiny.

Colombia controversy over seven minors killed in bombings ordered by Petro

The bombing, carried out by the Air Force in coordination with military intelligence, was aimed at striking one of the central structures of the Ivan Mordisco dissidents, one of the most violent and expansive groups in the post-agreement era.

Although the operation was initially presented as a precise blow to the military capacity of the dissidents — causing 25 casualties among members of this criminal organization — early verifications on the ground revealed that among the dead were seven minors who, according to local authorities and human rights organizations, had been recruited by the armed group in recent months.

The event produced an immediate clash of versions. While the Government maintained that they were active combatants integrated into the structure, humanitarian organizations emphasized that the condition of forced recruitment makes these children and adolescents victims, regardless of whether they were carrying weapons at the time of the bombing.

In a country marked by decades of conflict, the discussion about the use of lethal force in scenarios with the presence of minors is not new, but Petro’s own involvement makes it especially sensitive.

The shift of Colombia’s Petro on bombings

Since taking office in August 2022, Petro had repeatedly questioned the effectiveness and legitimacy of aerial bombings against guerrilla camps. His central argument, repeated in public speeches and interviews, revolved around the protection of minors recruited by armed groups.

In his view, the State could not respond to a crime — forced recruitment — with actions that endangered the lives of the victims. Under that premise, he ordered a review of this type of operation and at several moments established restrictions to prevent the repetition of tragedies such as those that occurred under previous governments.

The decision to authorize the operation in Guaviare, knowing that these types of structures often include the presence of minors, represents a break with the policy the president himself had defended. Although members of the Government claim that there was intelligence information ruling out the presence of children in the camp, this point has been widely debated, as multiple agencies and previous reports have documented the systematic use of minors by the Mordisco structure in that region.

The question authorities now face is whether there was a failure in military intelligence, a miscalculation by the executive, or a deliberate shift in the security strategy.

The president defends himself: International humanitarian law was respected

For his part, Petro defended himself against criticism over the deaths of these youths in the military attack, stating that international humanitarian law was respected at all times and reiterating that he had no information about the presence of minors in the areas bombed by the army.

“It is not true that I broke the principle of distinction. Deep in the jungle where the bombing took place, it was impossible to break it: There were no civilians in the area. It is irresponsible to compare the bombings in Gaza, in El Remanso in Putumayo, and against the boatmen in the Caribbean. In those places they have bombed only unarmed civilians and they do so with weapons far more lethal than the ones we use. It is not comparable to the bombing of Mordisco’s columns, armed and on the offensive. In Mordisco’s columns there were only combatants, and we did not know about the presence of minors,” he wrote on his account on the social network X.

The president argued that the main premise his government demands from illegal armed groups in order to begin a dialogue table is, precisely, to remove minors from their ranks. “They say we should not bomb. A mistaken position that leads narco-armed groups to recruit more and more children, violating IHL. These groups believe that by recruiting children they protect their commanders and kingpins. That belief must evaporate. Every negotiation with armed groups and gangs is preceded by a first agreement: taking children out of the conflict. That is how we comply with IHL,” he added.

Finally, Petro justified that this bombing does not represent a change in his government’s behavior. “I have used it — the bombing — 12 times in the three years of my government; there is no change in behavior. It’s another thing that the press does not report it. I have always made the final decision, I have sought to the maximum intelligence that identifies the presence of minors when that is possible, and I always make the decision when commanders/kingpins are present at the location and are in an offensive posture against society and the state,” he concluded.

De la oposición de izquierda a mi gobierno ha surgido una fuerte crítica por el bombardeo en Guaviare.

Debo responder unas críticas infundadas y mostrar lo que dice el Derecho Internacional Humanitario sobre el menor combatiente.

No es cierto que rompí el principio de…

— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) November 16, 2025