After two minors, ages 14 and 15, were allegedly taken from an educational institution in the municipality of Uribe (Meta) by armed men belonging to an illegal group, the Ombudsman, Carlos Camargo Assis, made an urgent appeal to national, departmental, and municipal authorities.
The official urged all armed actors who carry out their criminal actions in that territory to refrain from entering educational institutions.
So far this year there have been two alerts in Meta
The Ombudsman’s Office has issued two Early Alerts (AT) so far this year for the department of Meta, through which it has warned of the presence of dissident structures of the Farc and post-demobilization groups of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC). It has also evidenced actions that have generated terror in the civilian population, especially in rural and dispersed rural areas.
Similarly, through the “Recruitment case registration button” of the Ombudsman’s Office, between January and June of this year, 125 cases were reported in 10 departments: Cauca (95), Nariño (7), Putumayo (6), Chocó (4), Amazonas (4), Antioquia (3), Caquetá (3), Valle del Cauca (1), Norte de Santander (1) and Arauca (1). However, the number could be higher, since there is an underreporting of the phenomenon due to the fear of the communities in denouncing; they are aware of the reprisals they could face, as illegal armed groups are often in control of the territories.
He concluded by saying that it is also important to make visible in the monitoring and verification processes the violations of the rights of minors during the search for peace, in accordance with the best interests of children and adolescents.
Source: Ombudsman