Colombian President Gustavo Petro revealed on Tuesday that a significant amount of ammunition has disappeared from two military bases in the country. The missing items include hundreds of thousands of bullets, thousands of grenades, and 37 anti-tank missiles. The discovery was made during an inspection conducted by the army at a military base in the central region and another near the Caribbean coast.
President Petro expressed concerns that the stolen ammunition could have fallen into the hands of Colombian rebel groups or been illegally sold to criminal organizations abroad, such as Haitian gangs. He suggested that there may be internal networks within the armed forces involved in the illegal arms trade, leading to the disappearance of these items.
In response to the alarming situation, Petro emphasized the need for continued inspections of military bases to ensure that the armed forces are not connected to any criminal activities. The investigation comes at a time when Colombia is facing renewed conflict in the southwest with the FARC-EMC, a splinter group of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.
Since assuming office in 2022, President Petro has initiated peace talks with some of the remaining rebel factions in the country. While progress has been made in reducing violence in certain regions, critics of the administration have raised concerns about ongoing extortion and kidnappings by rebel groups. They argue that the cease-fires associated with the peace negotiations have allowed the rebels to consolidate their power and influence over local communities.
