Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos on Friday called on the country’s illegal armed groups like the FARC to release the children from the rebel groups’ ranks.
The president took part in an event in the capital of Bogota where he said that the release of child soldiers by illegal armed groups would be a sign to show the seriousness of guerrilla groups’ self-proclaimed desire for peace.
“If they want to talk about peace, they have to start with a sign like freeing the hostages or stop recruiting children, like freeing all the children that they have recruited for their lines. This would be a sign of peace the government would welcome as a true sign of wanting to achieve peace,” the president said.
Leftist rebel groups like the FARC and ELN have frequently been condemned for using children in their fight against the government, but drug-trafficking organizations and right-wing neo-paramilitary groups are also known to recruit children.