Colombian Government to Appeal Court Order Restricting Bombings Near Minors

The Colombian government announced it will appeal a ruling from the 34th Family Court of Bogota that prohibits the military from conducting bombing operations if there is reasonably verifiable information that children or adolescents are present. Interior Minister Rodrigo Lara stated that the terms of the ruling are too broad and make the use of aerial bombardments materially impossible in a conflict where armed groups routinely recruit minors. He argued that such a restriction could create a perverse incentive by granting territorial immunity to narcoterrorists.

The court's decision is a provisional measure following a tutela filed by citizen Ower Borda. The ruling requires the security forces to verify alternative measures to protect minors and to adhere to the principles of distinction, precaution, and proportionality. This legal action follows recent military operations, including Operación Amón in Guaviare, which resulted in ten deaths, including three minors.

President Abelardo de la Espriella and Defense Minister Jorge Mora have defended the military operations. They asserted that the recruitment of minors is a war crime and the responsibility of narcoterrorist groups. While the center lean source provides broader context by noting that 62 minors died in operations over the previous four years and detailing specific recent strikes, the center left lean source emphasizes the government's legal argument that the court's criteria are absurd and unconstitutional.