The application of IHL in armed confrontations in the national territory raises the question of what are the difficulties of the Colombian State Military Forces in distinguishing children immersed in armed confrontations as combatants or protected persons? The objective is to describe the difficulties that members of the military have in developing armed confrontations, to distinguish between combatants or protected persons minors who are members of illegal organized armed groups. The analysis of the protection that minors have before, during and after an armed confrontation is proposed, through the method of documentary investigation interpretive of the information obtained from texts, jurisprudence and articles of international organizations. The main conclusion is that minors, due to their status as subjects of special protection, be affected at all times and in all circumstances by the military forces, as protected persons regardless of their participation in hostilities.