The Shadow in the Sky: Colombia’s Drone War Escalates

The use of weaponized drones by armed groups in Colombia has reached alarming proportions, leaving a trail of death and destruction. What was once rare is now commonplace, with drone attacks on civilians and security forces increasing dramatically.

As night falls over southern Colombia, children’s football matches are no longer safe. The sound of drones overhead strikes fear into the hearts of those living in areas controlled by armed groups. Drones have transformed the conflict landscape, allowing armed actors to launch precise and relatively easy attacks.

Between 2023 and 2025, drone attacks skyrocketed from a handful to over 149 incidents per year, according to official data. Colombia’s ministry of defence reported 333 attacks in 2025 alone. The geographical spread of these attacks has expanded dramatically, moving beyond traditional conflict zones into towns and cities.

Armed groups use drones to attack security forces, assert control over communities, intimidate residents, and even target civilians. Indigenous leaders in Putumayo report that armed actors use drones to hover above villages, asserting their dominance. The sound of buzzing drones has become a source of terror in many areas.

The transnational ties of Colombian armed groups have facilitated access to equipment and training. Links to Mexican and Balkan cartels have provided these groups with the necessary resources to adapt and refine their tactics, including fibre optic drones resistant to jamming.

The impact on civilians is devastating. As Tiziano Breda, a senior analyst at ACLED, noted, “the rapid escalation and frequency of drone use, combined with its geographical spread, are concerning.” Civilians are caught in the crossfire or appear to be targeted deliberately.

Colombia’s drone war is linked to the global conflict landscape. The mass use of drones in Ukraine has accelerated the circulation of tactics, technical knowledge, and supply chains, influencing the spread of this technology among armed groups worldwide. Colombian actors are adopting these tactics and adapting them to suit their needs.

The implications of this escalation are far-reaching and worrying. As Humberto de la Calle, Colombia’s former vice-president, noted after a wave of drone attacks last summer, “with drones, we must stop the ways we’re being attacked from the air.” But it may be too late; the spread of drone warfare has created a new level of complexity in the conflict landscape.

As Colombia struggles to contain this escalation, attention must also be paid to the recruitment of children to operate drones. This raises disturbing questions about the role of minors in armed conflicts and the exploitation of their skills for military purposes.

The Colombian government must take concrete steps to address this crisis. It cannot afford to wait for international pressure or external intervention; instead, it needs to develop a comprehensive strategy to counter drone warfare within its borders. This will require increased coordination between security forces, greater investment in technology and training, and a more nuanced approach to addressing the root causes of conflict.

The use of drones has transformed the face of war in Colombia, creating a new level of terror and destruction. It’s time for the country to confront this reality head-on and develop effective solutions to mitigate its impact on civilians and security forces alike.

As the sound of buzzing drones continues to echo through Colombian communities, one thing is clear: the conflict landscape has changed forever, and it will take more than just military might to bring peace back to these ravaged towns and cities.