Child deaths in airstrikes highlight Colombia's political contradictions

"The recent airstrike on a FARC dissident camp led by Ivan Mordisco, in which seven minors were killed in the Guaviare department of the Amazon, has placed Colombian President Petro at the center of an intense political debate. He has been particularly criticized for his shift from zero tolerance for airstrikes killing minors when he was in the opposition, to justifying them now that he is in office. However, he is not the only politician in a difficult position over this humanitarian tragedy."

"On the other side, the opposition and the country's more conservative sectors who are now demanding explanations have little political gain to make from this moment, as many had approved airstrikes involving minors during right-wing governments. Meanwhile, the left, which has championed human rights and demanded the resignation of officials involved in past strikes, has issued less forceful statements against the military."

"He is the same politician who, in 2021, while serving as a senator in opposition to former president Ivan Duque, promoted a no-confidence vote against Diego Molano, the minister for defense, for an airstrike that killed 11 minors in the same region, the Guaviare department. It seems we're losing the war because we do worse things than the criminals, he wrote at the time on his X account."

An airstrike on a FARC dissident camp led by Ivan Mordisco killed seven minors in Guaviare, provoking intense political fallout. President Petro shifted from prior zero-tolerance rhetoric to justifying airstrikes while in office, drawing criticism. Opposition and conservative sectors demand explanations despite having approved similar strikes during right-wing governments. The left, previously outspoken on human rights and resignations over past strikes, has issued less forceful statements against the military. Interior Minister Armando Benedetti, who previously campaigned against a defense minister after an airstrike that killed 11 minors, has softened his criticism as a member of the cabinet. Children remain the primary victims amid competing political positions.

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