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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Harriet Barber in Bogotá

Colombia gangs lure children to join ranks via TikTok and Facebook, UN warns

Tiktok video screen grab of big cars and back of young person with weapon and military fatigues
The UN Human Rights office in Colombia says children are promised motorbikes, mobile phones and money, with girls also offered cosmetic surgery. Photograph: TikTok/Facebook

Gangs in Colombia are increasingly recruiting children into their ranks, with a notable number coerced over TikTok and Facebook, the United Nations has warned.

The UN Human Rights Office in Colombia said it had verified 474 cases of recruitment or use of under-18s between 2022 and 2024, and that the situation was “worsening in 2025”. In 36 cases children were recruited at school, while recruitment through social networking platforms was of “grave concern”, it said.

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