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Colombia Issues Lengthy Sentences Against ELN Rebel Leaders for Recruiting Children

Prosecutors said the ELN used children as young as 8 for combat, messaging and other tasks, and some girls were sexually abused.

  • On Monday, a judge sentenced 11 commanders of the National Liberation Army to prison in absentia for recruiting 60 children into their ranks between 2004 and 2018.
  • Violence has resurfaced in rural areas where the ELN fights for control of illegal mines and drug trafficking routes abandoned by the Revolutionary Armed Forces .
  • The commanders were found guilty of recruiting boys and girls aged 8 to 17, forcing them into roles as messengers, cooks, and intelligence gatherers; prosecutors noted some girls faced sexual abuse.
  • Convicted leader Israel Ram Pineda, also known by the alias Pablo Beltrán, currently resides in Cuba and recently led a delegation in peace talks with Colombia.
  • Colombia's Human Rights Defenders Office reports at least 1,500 children have been recruited by armed groups since 2021, prompting The United Nations to urge social media platforms to block recruitment efforts.
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17 Articles

The Toronto StarThe Toronto Star
+7 Reposted by 7 other sources
Lean Left

Colombia issues lengthy sentences against ELN rebel leaders for recruiting children

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — A judge on Monday sentenced in absentia 11 commanders of Colombia's largest remaining rebel group to prison for recruiting 60 children into their ranks between 2004 and 2018.

·Toronto, Canada
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Lean Left

ELN tops condemned for forced recruitment of 60 Colombian minors

·Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Buenos Aires, 28 September (NA) -- Colombian Justice sentenced to more than 20 years in prison all members of the Central Command (COCE) of the guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN) for the forced recruitment of 60 children and adolescents between 2004 and 2018, confirmed this Monday the Prosecutor's Office. The sentence of 20 years and 4 months in prison includes Nicolás Rodríguez Bautista, alias Gabino; Eliécer Herlindo Chamorro Aco…

·Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Winnipeg Free Press broke the news in Winnipeg, Canada on Monday, September 28, 2026.
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