Almost half the minors recruited by armed groups in 2025 were approached via social media

Monday, August 24th 2026 - 07:32 UTC

The 124-page document, titled “I Thought I Would Never See My Mother Again,” draws on 184 interviews with officials, humanitarian workers, indigenous and community leaders and child protection staff

Some 44% of children and adolescents recruited by armed groups in Colombia during 2025 were approached through social media or platforms such as TikTok and Facebook, according to data from the Special Jurisdiction for Peace cited in a Human Rights Watch report published on Monday.

The 124-page document, titled “I Thought I Would Never See My Mother Again,” draws on 184 interviews with officials, humanitarian workers, indigenous and community leaders and child protection staff. The organisation analysed records held by the Ombudsman's Office and counted at least 1,500 minors recruited since 2021, with a marked rise from 2023: that year the office documented 342 cases, reaching 625 in 2024, an increase of 81%.

“Armed groups in Colombia are recruiting children with impunity, as protection systems fail and social media becomes a more effective recruitment tool,” said Juanita Goebertus, the organisation's Americas director.