BOGOTA, Colombia: Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced on Tuesday that a significant quantity of ammunition has gone missing from two military bases in the South American nation. During a recent army inspection, it was discovered that hundreds of thousands of bullets, along with thousands of grenades and 37 anti-tank missiles, were unaccounted for at a military base located in the country’s central region and another near the Caribbean coast, Petro stated in a brief statement.
Expressing concern, President Petro suggested that the missing ammunition may have fallen into the hands of Colombian rebel groups or been unlawfully sold to criminal organizations abroad, including Haitian gangs.
“The only plausible explanation for these missing items is the existence of networks within the armed forces involved in illicit arms trafficking,” Petro asserted.
He emphasized that ongoing inspections of military bases are crucial to ensuring the separation of the armed forces from any form of criminal activity.
This revelation comes amid renewed conflict in Colombia’s southwest between the government and the FARC-EMC, a splinter group of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) following the 2016 peace agreement.
Since assuming office in 2022, President Petro has initiated peace talks with some of the remaining rebel groups in the country. However, critics of the administration contend that these groups continue to engage in extortion and kidnapping of civilians. They argue that cease-fires associated with the peace negotiations have enabled rebels to strengthen their positions and exert greater influence over local communities.
