Colombia's Ongoing Child Recruitment Crisis

COLOMBIA / 15 APR 2021

As in the darkest days of Colombia’s civil conflict, armed groups across the country continue to enlist and exploit teenagers. 

In this investigation about the recruitment of minors in Colombia by criminal groups and insurgents, InSight Crime interviewed dozens of former child soldiers, community leaders, activisits and government officials to track where and how this happens, the roles these children play inside armed groups and how teachers try to protect their students.

Chapter 1

Bajo Cauca and Vaupés – Colombia’s Child Recruitment Hotspots

COLOMBIA / 1 APR 2021

As in the darkest days of Colombia's civil conflict, armed groups across the country continue to enlist and exploit teenage boys and girls. In this, the first of a three-part…

Chapter 2

In Colombia, Child Soldiers Play Many Roles

COLOMBIA / 8 APR 2021

Children serve in a wide range of roles in criminal organizations: errand boy, landmine builder, frontline combatant and assassin. In this, the second of a three-part investigation by InSight Crime…

Chapter 3

Colombia Teachers - Last Line of Defense Against Forced Recruitment

COLOMBIA / 15 APR 2021

Colombia remains a hotspot for forced recruitment of minors. In this, the last of a three-part investigation by InSight Crime, journalist Mathew Charles looks at how school teachers are trying…

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About InSight Crime

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InSight Crime Contributes Expertise Across the Board 

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This week InSight Crime investigators Sara García and María Fernanda Ramírez led a discussion of the challenges posed by Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s “Total Peace” plan within urban contexts. The…

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InSight Crime’s work on emerging coca cultivation in Honduras, Guatemala, and Venezuela was cited in the Colombian government’s…

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Investigators Victoria Dittmar and María Fernanda Ramírez discussed InSight Crime’s recent investigation of a massacre in Honduras’ only women’s prison in a Twitter Spaces event on…

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Human Trafficking Investigation Published in Leading Mexican Newspaper

1 SEP 2023

Leading Mexican media outlet El Universal featured our most recent investigation, “The Geography of Human Trafficking on the US-Mexico Border,” on the front page of its August 30…

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InSight Crime's Coverage of Ecuador Leads International Debate

25 AUG 2023

This week, Jeremy McDermott, co-director of InSight Crime, was interviewed by La Sexta, a Spanish television channel, about the situation of extreme violence and insecurity in Ecuador…

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