19 opposition signatures support no-confidence motion against minDefense

Nineteen opposition parties have backed a motion of censure against Defense Minister Jorge Mora, citing concerns over the military operation known as Operation Amón. The operation, conducted last week against dissidents affiliated with “Calarcá” in the rural area of El Retorno, Guaviare, resulted in ten deaths, including three minors. This has sparked renewed scrutiny over the government’s approach to counterinsurgency operations involving children. The motion was filed by seventeen representatives from the Pacto Histórico coalition and two additional lawmakers from opposing factions. Among them are Óscar Benavides, representing the Afro-descendant curule, and Santiago Osorio, a member of the Green Party who joined forces with the Pacto Histórico. Both figures have previously aligned with Senator and former presidential candidate Iván Cepeda. The proposed resolution highlights the lack of transparency regarding intelligence used before the attack and the measures taken to address the risk of child recruitment in the region. This marks the second motion of censure directed at a minister under President Gustavo Petro’s administration. The first targeted Housing Minister Jaime Andrés Beltrán, who faced criticism for traveling to Santa Marta shortly after a devastating earthquake. That motion received forty signatures from the opposition bloc. Despite numerous motions since taking office, none have succeeded in removing a minister from their post. A notable example was the call for censure against Pedro Sánchez, the previous defense minister, following a bombing in Guaviare that killed seven minors, many of whom had been recruited by the “Iván Mordisco” faction. Over the past four years, sixty-two minors have died during military operations targeting armed groups. This has led to internal tensions within the government, as its security policy shifted away from earlier approaches. Defense Minister Mora has defended these actions, stating that the recruitment and use of minors in conflict constitutes a war crime and violates international humanitarian law. He emphasized the responsibility of armed groups, while President Petro has supported military efforts to combat narcoterrorist organizations through legal and constitutional means. According to the Ombudsman’s Office, 1,173 children, adolescents, and young people have been recruited between 2024 and July 2026, a practice prohibited under international humanitarian law. Three bombings have occurred during the current administration. The first took place in Tibú and San Calixto (Catatumbo) on August 10, according to the Army, which claimed to have neutralized two members of the ELN. Operation Amón, which triggered the motion against Mora, targeted the Bloque Jorge Suárez Briceño, part of the “Calarcá” dissidents. The latest operation, named Operation Azarías, was launched in the Miraflores neighborhood of Guaviare against a camp belonging to the “Mordisco” dissidents. It reportedly resulted in twenty casualties and the recovery of two minors. The opposition has begun to organize itself under the framework set by President Petro, introducing the “Gabinete por la Vida,” a structure resembling the British “shadow cabinet.” This initiative aims to coordinate opposition efforts against the current government leadership. The strategy reflects both the rigid stance imposed by the president and the continuation of certain practices from his previous tenure, including a belief in election fraud theories and a distinctive political style.