Americas and Caribbean: S - Z

No information was available on the presence of under-18s in the armed forces or the minimum age of recruitment.

No information was available on whether any under-18s were serving in the armed forces.

The total number of 17-year-olds enlisting in the armed services dropped by nearly 50 per cent between 2002 and 2005. The USA detained under-18s suspected of participating in armed activities in Afghanistan and Iraq. Under-18s were also detained in Guantánamo Bay.

No under-18s were allowed to serve in the armed forces, even in time of war.

There were reports of Colombian and Venezuelan armed groups recruiting under-18s in border areas.