Colombia judge orders removal of videos showing president among bodies
Mariam Ashalem De Andres
10 September 2026•Update: 10 September 2026
A Colombian judge has ordered the presidential administration to remove videos showing President Abelardo de la Espriella walking among bodies after military operations.
The order was issued by the 14th Labor Court of the Bogota Circuit after a constitutional protection lawsuit, known as a tutela, was filed by lawmaker Santiago Osorio.
The court ordered the presidency to remove two videos published Sept. 2 and 4 on its Instagram account.
The footage showed de la Espriella walking among bodies wrapped in white bags after military operations in the departments of Guaviare and La Guajira.
The first video was linked to Operation Azarias in Miraflores, Guaviare. The second showed the results of Operation Centinela de la Patria in La Guajira.
Among those killed was Nain Andres Perez Toncel, known as “Bendito Menor,” who was identified as a leader of the Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra Nevada armed group.
The judge’s decision followed arguments that publication of the graphic material could affect children and adolescents.
The court cited Article 18 of Colombia’s Childhood and Adolescence Code, which provides special protection for minors against content that could cause psychological harm or suffering.
The case also includes Meta Platforms, Colombia’s communications regulator, the Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications, and the Colombian Family Welfare Institute.
Osorio welcomed the ruling, saying the state must be strong in confronting criminal groups but should not use images of dead people as political propaganda.
The videos had already triggered criticism on social media and from Colombian officials for the government’s decision to publish graphic images from military operations.
The controversy comes as de la Espriella’s government has made security and military operations against armed and criminal groups a central part of its agenda.
The administration has defended the operations as necessary to confront organized crime and strengthen security in Colombia.