BOGOTA, Dec 28 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — Colombian President, Gustavo Petro, announced that he will request the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute the leaders of armed groups responsible for the systematic execution of minors.
On his social network X, the president wrote that the recruitment and systematic murder of children is a crime against humanity anywhere in the world where it occurs.
“If we have asked the International Criminal Court to judge genocidaires who have bombed children, the same must be done if it happens in Colombia,” he stressed.
The president’s statements come after the governor of Cauca, Octavio Guzmán, announced that this year more than 250 minors, who mostly belong to indigenous peoples, have been recruited for the armed conflict.
According to a report by RTVC Noticias, 73 children were rescued in that southwestern department and 20 others were murdered.
According to figures from the Ombudsman’s Office, as of Nov 5, 2024, armed groups have recruited 282 minors. — NNN-PRENSA LATINA
