Murder of Mónica Beltrán, 13-year-old girl forcibly recruited by Farc dissidents in Tibú
Mónica Lizeth Beltrán's family confirmed her death after receiving anonymous phone calls six months after her abduction in Tibú. The girl had been forcibly recruited by Front 33 of the Farc dissidents.
Family confirms death of Mónica Beltrán following anonymous calls
According to elcolombiano.com, hope of finding Mónica Lizeth Beltrán alive, a 13-year-old student abducted by Farc dissidents in the Catatumbo region, ended with confirmation of her murder almost six months after her kidnapping.
Her father, Ramón Darío Beltrán, revealed to local media that he received the news on Sunday 20 September 2026 through two anonymous telephone calls. The first occurred at 5:10 p.m. and generated disbelief in the father; the second, at 6:40 p.m., confirmed the death and included words of condolence. The callers refused to identify themselves and provided no details about the date, location or circumstances of the death.
Abducted on the night of 2 April
Armed men from Front 33 of the Farc dissidents violently broke into the family home, located in the Villas del Río sector, municipality of Tibú, on the night of 2 April 2026, around 9:00 p.m., and took the girl away in the presence of her father.
Mónica was in seventh grade and was the fifth of seven siblings. Those close to her remember her as a quiet young woman, fond of digital platforms and well-liked among her schoolmates. She had no record of any previous threats.
During the months of captivity, contact with her family was almost non-existent. Only one video call of approximately three minutes was recorded, in which the girl told her father that she was well, although her face reflected anxiety.
The father, a farmer beneficiary of the PNIS
Ramón Darío Beltrán is a farmer who grows cassava, plantain and palm oil on his farm. He is a beneficiary of the National Comprehensive Programme for the Substitution of Illicit Crop Use (PNIS). Throughout the months of captivity, he made constant public appeals to armed organisations to respect his daughter's life and return her safe and sound.
Condemnations and warnings from victims' organisations
Olguín Mayorga, president of the National Association of Victims, condemned the crime on digital platforms. The Federation of Victims of Terrorism in Colombia warned of the continued and unpunished nature of child recruitment in the country.
The Ombudsman's Office warned that 97 minors had been documented as recruited in 2026, a figure that could be higher due to underreporting.
Family seeks help for funeral
According to the media outlet La Opinión, Mónica Lizeth's body remains at a funeral establishment in the municipal capital of Tibú. The family faces serious economic difficulties in covering the costs of the funeral rites and has requested support from the public to raise funds and give her a dignified burial.
Source: Google News CO — Crime