For Colombian guerrillas on the run from the army, crying babies were considered a security risk. That’s why during the country’s half-century-long guerrilla war, women – who make up about one-third of rebel forces – rarely gave birth.
But under a peace treaty, fighting between Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia — the Marxist rebel group known as the FARC — and the Colombian government has ended. And that’s led to a rebel baby boom.
At a FARC camp near the northern Colombian town of Conejo, the main attraction is an adorable month-old girl named Desiree, whose parents are FARC guerrillas. Rebels take turns cradling Desiree in their arms and cooing at her.
“I’ve always liked kids,” says her father, Alfredo Gutiérrez, a lanky rebel who has been at war for 21 of his 39 years. He thanks God that he and his wife can raise their daughter now in peace.
After Peace Agreement, A Baby Boom Among Colombia’s FARC Guerrillas
Photo: John Otis for NPR Caption: FARC rebel Alfredo Gutierrez holds his month-old daughter, Desiree, as fellow FARC rebel Jenny Cabrales plays with her.