On May 31, Colombians will go to the polls to elect their future president. At the heart of the vote: the armed conflict and the strategy to adopt over the coming years. But in the meantime, thousands of adolescents are in danger in the country. Since 2017, the forced recruitment of minors by armed groups has jumped by 300%. In the first three months of 2026 alone, thirty cases have already occurred. been confirmed and the associations estimate that the real figures are well beyond. In Bogota, in Benposta, a community has been trying for decades to offer another path to these adolescents.
From our correspondent in Bogota,
South of Bogota, Benposta is a mini-city within a city. Teenagers chat, laugh, hold hands. Here, 83 young people live together and manage themselves. They have their own college, their kitchens, their dormitories. And even a government. Last week they elected their new mayor. He is sixteen years old. “I wanted to run for office because I knew I had the ability to defend the interests of the children in the community and create a good atmosphere within it. “, explains the new mayor, Bryan.
Bryan arrived here a year ago, threatened by armed groups who wanted to recruit him by force. But in Benposta, we no longer talk about it. “The first two weeks here were difficult for me, especially the breakup with my family, coming here and leaving them. It affected me a lot. At the moment, the conflict is really very strong. But I would like to go back home. »
Also readColombia: return to the warpath as the 2026 presidential election approaches
Promises from armed groups to attract children
Like Bryan, everyone here fled armed groups. Children are prime targets for them because legally they do not run the same risks and are more easily influenced. Ana María Centeno is a researcher at Coalico, a coalition for the protection of children in the face of armed conflict, of which Benposta is a member. She has been deciphering the mechanisms of recruitment for several years. “These recruitments take place in territories deprived of essential services, from drinking water to formal schools. The majority of children recruited are indigenous or Afro-descendant, historically the most impoverished communities in Colombia. »
To attract them, armed groups have developed increasingly sophisticated methods: promises of salary, cosmetic surgeries for girls, romantic seduction. And a formidable weapon: social networks. “Look, they always play this kind of music. With very militant messages, which encourage people to take up arms and speak to the commander “, shows supporting evidence Ana María Centeno.
On the screen, young people appear in fatigues, weapons on their belts, wads of banknotes in their hands. Images that are anchored in the daily lives of these miners, as denounced by José Luis Campo, director of Benposta. “They have permanent interactions with the groups. At the end of the school, they are there, in uniform, with guns, and while waiting for their parents to arrive, they eat cookies with the children. »
To counter this, Benposta offers them a living environment and perspectives: sewing workshops, karate, video communication. Ely chose painting when she arrived three years ago. “When I arrived here, because of everything that happened, I painted my sadness, the anger you feel when you are chased from your territory. Benposta helped me and taught me the importance of voice. »
A voice that the war almost stole from him.
Also readColombia: violence intensifies as legislative elections approach
