U.S. Ambassador to Bogota William Brownfield said Friday he was “concerned” about ongoing violence against indigenous groups in Colombia.
Following a meeting with representatives of several of Colombia’s indigenous groups, the ambassador called on all illegal groups active in the country to stop the recruitment of indigenous minors.
“The forced recruitment of a minor by illegal armed groups is a violation of international human rights, and an expression of indifference to the most basic values of human morality,” the ambassador was quoted in a press release by the embassy.
Indigenous Colombians, who make up 2% of the Colombian population, are one of the groups hardest hit by the violence as the army pushed left-wing guerrillas back into the jungles where many of the indigenous people live.