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Trending: Colombia’s guerrilla recruitment video problem

Factual

22/06/2024 GMT

Colombia’s guerrilla recruitment video problem

BBC World Service - Trending, Colombia’s guerrilla recruitment video problem

Fighters from dissident armed groups in Colombia are using TikTok to recruit youngsters.

Fighters from armed groups in Colombia are using TikTok to glorify their lives as guerrillas and recruit youngsters. So what do these videos mean for the future of the country?

Fighters from dissident armed groups in Colombia are using TikTok to glorify their lives as guerrillas and recruit youngsters.

These armed groups didn't like the terms of a peace treaty negotiated between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the government in 2016, and they kept fighting against the Colombian government. These groups make their money from illegal businesses.

Their videos have struck a chord with teens, particularly in rural areas like the Cauca region in west Colombia. Although not all the videos actively offer jobs, there are hundreds showing off what they portray as a slice of life inside the guerrilla: money, cars, guns, women, community and purpose. They do not emphasise the dangers associated with the lifestyle. 

So how popular are these TikToks and what does it mean for Colombia that there’s tonnes of them, easily found by young people with smartphones across the country?

Presenter: Laura Garcia  and Rachelle Krygier
Producer: Jonathan Griffin
Studio Manager: Annie Gardiner
Editor: Flora Carmichael
Music: Bloque Occidental - Carlos Carrillo

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