In the Jungle Battalion No. 49, located in La Tagua, a remote village located in the department of Putumayo, a soldier allegedly killed two of his superiors, a colleague, and injured another soldier with his rifle.
According to information provided by the National Army in a statement from the Sixth Division, “a regular soldier who was serving as a sentinel” would have been responsible for his death Captain Juan Pablo Herrera Mazo and Second Sergeant Carlos Rojas Otavo “and would have left two more soldiers injured.”
«The injured personnel were stabilized at the scene and then transferred by helicopter to a medical center in the neighboring department of Caquetá”.
The events are still under investigation by the Army, while the authorities are carrying out an exhaustive search throughout the area to find the culprit of the events, since, according to the report, the soldier would have shot at his superiors and would have escaped. with his rifle. To find the whereabouts of the soldier, both the Army and the National Navy activated a lock plan, in order to find him as soon as possible and thus avoid any impact on the civilian population.
The Army regretted the events and sent its condolences to the families of the deceased soldiers: “the interdisciplinary and psychosocial teams of the Twenty-Seventh Jungle Brigade were deployed to provide the corresponding support to the families of the deceased personnel.”
The events occur in the midst of an internal crisis within the Military Forces, as recognized by Commander General Helder Giraldo. In a message, the general expresses concern about the loss of expertise in the armed forces, underlining the importance of giving clear orders so that the tactical and technical capacity of military units is restored.“We must ensure that those responsible for instruction and training work to recover and strengthen knowledge in our ranks,” declared the high command.
The commander also expressed concern about the management of specializations and assignments of military personnel, urging to maximize investment in training and training. “We cannot allow a highly specialized soldier to be assigned to a position where his knowledge, training and qualifications are not fully utilized,” concluded General Giraldo.
This incident, which has shocked public opinion, has generated a call for attention about the urgent need for internal reforms in the Colombian Military Forces. Authorities continue their efforts to clarify the circumstances of this tragic event and ensure that justice is served. Attention is now focused on the implementation of measures that address the deficiencies identified by Commander Giraldo and restore effectiveness and professionalism in the country’s armed forces.