Colombian vice-President Francisco Santos Monday told the United Nations his country has made progress in combating the recruitment of children by illegal armed groups. Santos also promised that members of the army who use children for intelligence purposes will be punished.
The vice-President presented the UN a document wherein the Uribe administration defends its policy and points out what progress has been made and what the remaining weaknesses of the government’s policy are.
According to Santos, the recruitment of minors is done by both leftist groups like the FARC and ELN and paramilitary or drug groups like the Aguilas Negras and Rastrojos.
The vice-president did not deny or confirm “credible information” obtained by the UN that “some members of the security forces have used children for intelligence purposes despite an opposing government policy.”
Santos told the UN that “this is prohibited and those who do this will be punished. When there is specific evidence with first and last names, we will be the first to act and to punish, also in transferring the case to Justice so that it punishes, because this is explicitly forbidden.”