President Gustavo Petro has made a complaint about the existence of networks made up of members of the Military Forces and civilians, dedicated to the massive trafficking of legal weapons of the Colombian State.
This revelation has shaken the foundations of national security and generated an urgent call for action.
During a statement made at the Casa de Nariño, President Petro presented details about the discovery of a massive shortage of ammunition and explosives at the Tolemaida military base and in garrisons of Brigade 10 in La Guajira. These losses are estimated to include more than one million pieces of ammunition of different calibers, as well as grenades and high-powered weapons, such as anti-tank missiles.
President Petro underlined the seriousness of the situation, pointing out that these shortages cannot be explained in any other way than by the existence of criminal networks within the Military Forces and the complicity of civilians in the illegal arms trade. In addition, he confirmed that explosives used in previous attacks, such as those that occurred on the Medellín-Bogotá highway, came from these military bases.
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The investigations revealed an inventory of shortages in Tolemaida and La Guajira. In Tolemaida, significant losses were reported, including grenades of various calibers and more than 600,000 5.56 caliber ammunition. Meanwhile, in La Guajira, even more missing weapons and ammunition were found, such as Spike and Nimrod missiles, as well as more than 700,000 5.56 caliber ammunition.
President Petro ordered a thorough investigation and the immediate dismantling of these criminal networks. It is expected that the judicial authorities will take strong measures to bring those responsible to justice and prevent this illegal arms trade from continuing to undermine the stability of the country.
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