Colombia's President de la Espriella is relying on military toughness against guerrilla groups

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella presents his military operations to the public: in a video he published, he walks through rows of body bags in a military uniform, with confiscated weapons lying behind them.

"This strike against FARC terrorism will forever be etched in Colombia's history books. And this is just the beginning, because we will achieve even more," explains de la Espriella.

The right-wing president has broken with the policies of his predecessor Gustavo Petro: there will be no more peace talks, according to the announcement. Nevertheless, this open display of victims is unusual, even in Colombia.

"This drug terrorist was responsible for the worst acts of terrorism in the states of Guaviare, Amazonas, Putumayo and Caquetá. We put him out of action," de la Espriella boasts during his show of force.

Colombian authorities said at least four minors were among the more than 30 people killed. This has fueled debates in Colombia about the legality of such attacks, says political scientist Luis Fernando Trejos Rosero.

According to international law, children are always considered victims of war crimes. "Human rights organizations criticize these attacks. Others say that if they are armed, they are automatically combatants and also a danger," says Trejos Rosero. The problem is that in secret service work it is often not possible to estimate in advance what age the fighters are.

According to the Colombian government, almost 1,200 young people have been recruited in the past two and a half years alone. According to a report by the International Crisis Group, the number of unreported cases is likely to be significantly higher. And there have also been many underage victims in the past four years under Petro's government and his peace policy.

The discussion about this will continue to arise if the actual problem is not addressed, says Trejos Rosero. In order to really protect these young people, preventive measures and perspectives are needed. To date, no government has addressed this in a sustainable manner.

What is new under de la Espriella is the pace he is setting: no other president has carried out so many military offensives in such a short period of time.

"If the government increases the military pressure on the armed groups, it is to be expected that they will respond with terrorist means to defend themselves. I therefore believe that they will respond more with drones and car bombs in urban areas," says Trejos Rosero.

There were two attacks the day after de la Espriella took office. This week, a car bomb exploded outside a police station on the border with Venezuela, killing at least 11 people. The authorities blamed the guerrilla movement National Liberation Army (ELN) for the attack.

Is the new president setting off a new spiral of escalation? For political scientist Trejos Rosero, it is too early to judge. But de la Espriella's "hard hand" lacked money and resources - as well as political support. His government currently does not have a clear majority in Congress.

"In addition, even if the US government has promised to support him militarily, the midterm elections in the US could prevent that." Because if US President Donald Trump loses the majority in the Senate, funding for Colombia could be cut, according to Trejos Rosero.

Colombia's new president appears as a great fighter. But Trejos Rosero doubts that his war will be successful on all fronts, especially in the long term. To do this, he must go beyond military measures and strengthen local structures. A task that can be started in a maximum term of four years.