By Ricardo Lezama 02 Febrero 2023
Cortesía Comunidades campesinas de Antioquía
Children in the municipality of Yarumal were exposed to recruitment by members of the 36th front of the FARC dissidents and the Golf Clan on Saturday.
Local authorities are now investigating the incident, which occurred in the municipality’s main park. According to reports, members of the FARC dissidents and the Golf Clan had arrived at the park with gifts for the children, handing out school kits, forcing children to thank them in order to be filmed, while wearing camouflage and carrying weapons. with whom they were sharing for several minutes.
Governor Aníbal Gaviria denounced the presence of armed groups in three localities in the region, Yarumal, San Pedro de los Milagros and Campamento, who are patrolling the population centers and indoctrinating and recruiting minors in rural educational institutions. This has affected some 500 students in three educational institutions.
The incident in Yarumal has highlighted the need for the government to take additional measures to protect the children of the region from the activities of these criminal groups. It is essential that the government take steps to ensure that the children are not exposed to any form of indoctrination.
The FARC dissidents and the Gulf Clan have been operating in the region since the signing of the 2016 peace agreement between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The two groups have been involved in drug trafficking, extortion, and other criminal activities in the region.