CHILDREN BEING AFFECTED FOR THE ILLEGAL USE OF GUNPOWDER AND FIREWORKS IN COLOMBIA: LEGAL PROBLEMS Karen Juliana Quintero Rada The Department of International Law Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia 6, Miklukho-Maklaya st., Moscow, Russia, 117198 The are analyzed existing national legal means of Colombia for preventing victims among children by the illegal are of fireworks though the existing international legal guarantees for protection of rights of children. <...> Key words: gunpowder, fireworks, burnt out children, irresponsible parents, legal framework, rights of children. <...> Colombia, known worldwide as a land of festivals and celebrations, has used gunpowder, which is originated in the ancient China, at any time of the year and especially in the month of December. <...> Year after year we find in Colombian newspapers, and in general, the media, headlines such as «the number of children burned with gunpowder has increased», a situation that becomes depressing and repetitive for the Colombian population. <...> The burning of gunpowder included in December holidays in the Colombian territory, is certainly a tradition that has many years of being practiced and that today, is a normalized act both the competent authorities and by society in general. <...> What never would be normalized, is that these activities that should be exclusively for adults — not the enjoyment, but its practice — skilled or qualified persons or personal trained to handle fireworks, includes children on its structure, who, like adults, come to handle gunpowder with their hands, and turn out being victims of this, as in many cases even burn their faces, lose their hands, any member of their bodies, or even can cause them to death. <...> As caregivers adults of the children’s welfare, shall be avoided to exposure them to risky situations, while all adults are required to contribute effectively to the prevention of the risk caused by pyrotechnics and fireworks that can affect the life, physical integrity, health and the happy childhood of the child (Art. 2) [7]. <...> Article 44 of the Political Constitution of Colombia, states that «are basic rights of children: life, physical integrity, health and social security, a balanced diet, their name and citizenship, to have a family and not be separated from it, care and love, instruction and culture, recreation <...>