The Ombudsman’s Office confirmed this Saturday, November 15, that six minors died during the military operations carried out in the bombing in Guaviare against the alias Iván Mordisco faction.

The deaths, which occurred this week in the midst of an offensive ordered by President Gustavo Petro, revived the controversy over the use of bombings in camps where there could be forcibly recruited populations.

As explained by the Ombudsman’s Office, directed by Iris Marín Ortiz, this “deeply regrettable” fact forces us to reiterate that International Humanitarian Law (IHL) imposes strict limits even in the midst of hostilities.

The Government confirmed that 19 people died in the operation, however, the Minister of Defense, Pedro Sánchez, indicated that the identification of the victims (including verification of whether there were minors among the casualties) is now in the hands of Forensic Medicine.

The minister maintained that, under IHL, any person in a combat situation constitutes a lawful target. However, the Ombudsman’s Office rejected that illegal armed groups continue to use minors as human shields and asked the Military Forces to adopt all possible protocols to avoid harm to this population, even when it has been forced to participate in hostilities.

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The entity also questioned whether, in this specific case of the bombing in Guaviare, it was possible to use other less harmful methods that would avoid a fatal outcome for minors recruited by dissidents.

While tension increases and details are awaited about the identity of the six deceased minors, the Military Forces have not provided an additional official statement.

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