In a historic ruling to address the atrocities committed during Colombia’s internal armed conflict, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) has formally indicted six former commanders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) for war crimes, including the forcible recruitment of minors and other serious offenses.
JEP President Alejandro Ramelli presented the charges, which are part of the tribunal’s broader Macro Case 07 investigation into FARC’s systemic exploitation of minors. According to prosecutors, the guerrilla group forcibly recruited 18,677 children between 1971 and 2016, with recruitment peaking between 1996 and 2016 as FARC’s military campaign intensified against civilians.
The indictment names senior FARC leaders, including Rodrigo Londoño, alias “Timochenko,” Jaime Alberto Parra Rodríguez, Milton de Jesús Toncel Redondo, Pablo Catatumbo Torres, Pastor Alape, and Julián Gallo. As members of FARC’s Secretariat, these former commanders oversaw the brutal recruitment policies and are charged also with gender-related acts committed against young combatants – ranging from torture to sexual slavery, forced abortions, and other sexual atrocities. The majority of these crimes, the tribunal affirmed, were intended to instill fear, enforce control within the ranks, and serve as initiation rituals.
The 500-page document presented by JEP includes testimony from over 1,000 former child soldiers who described the traumatic conditions endured within FARC ranks. Rather than isolated incidents, JEP determined the recruitment was part of a larger, calculated strategy to sustain the group’s ranks, often preying on vulnerable minors from impoverished communities.
“This was a systematic phenomenon, neither isolated nor sporadic,” read the tribunal’s statement. “The Secretariat was fully aware and failed to prevent or punish the war crimes committed under its command.”
Magistrate Lily Andrea Rueda underscored the ideology that fueled these crimes, emphasizing the commanders’ commitment to sustaining FARC’s armed struggle. She noted that the group’s survival depended on a steady influx of recruits, adding, “FARC’s drive for rebellion and ideological ambition to seize political power fueled a recruitment system that preyed on minors.”
The charges mark a significant moment for Colombia’s transitional justice system, established in the wake of the 2016 peace agreement to hold war criminals accountable while fostering reconciliation through truth-telling and reparations. These charges, however, challenge the promise of leniency extended to FARC leaders who initially embraced the peace process, underscoring JEP’s commitment to addressing the impact on Colombia’s youngest victims and setting a precedent for non-repetition and accountability. During a press conference on Wednesday in Bogotá, JEP charged FARC for “generating adverse living conditions for children, resulting in physical and psychological suffering, ill-treatment and even suicide and homicide.”
On the eve of the eighth anniversary of the signing of the Final Accord between the government of President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC, the guerrilla’s former top commander, known by his war name “Timochenko”, has yet to release a formal statement on JEP’s indictment. Rodrigo Londoño was FARC’s last commander and currently head of the political party Comunes.
 has indicted six former FARC commanders on war crimes charges, including child recruitment and severe abuses committed against minors during the internal conflict.){kind=link}