The president questioned that rifles from another government guarded the presidential headquarters and assured that Colombia already works on the development of its own weapon.
News Colombia.
In the midst of the promotion ceremony of 15,971 police, held in the Plaza de Armas of the Casa de Nariño, President Gustavo Petro made a revelation that generated concern: he assured that most of the weapons that protected the palace were owned by the United States and that they had to be returned by order of that country.
The president explained that he was notified through a letter in which they demanded the return of the weapons. “All the weapons that took care of the palace, all of them, most of the weapons that took care of the Palacio de Nariño, 150 in total, more or less rifles, almost all, including the antidrón – I tell it, sometimes I do not sleep here, many times – were owned by the United States government,” he said.
Petro stressed that, before the departure of this weapons, he decided that the presidential guard battalion resumes his historical role to guard the Nariño Palace. In a firm tone, he added: “You have to have dignity, all, until the last. We do not need them.”
The president also mentioned that Colombia is working at its own rifle, designed and produced by the Colombian military industry (Indumil), which seeks independence in defense.
The rifle that Petro referred to is a development that was already presented by Indumil and that seeks to replace the Galil Ace currently in use. According to the specifications, this new armament will be lighter, will have greater resistance in extreme conditions, a modular design and the possibility of integrating accessories such as optical views, flashlights and laser designators.
According to the Ministry of Defense, 85 % of its components are already of national manufacture and the goal is to reach 100 % in the coming years. According to the plans, the transition will begin in 2026 and will take about five years, with a projected capacity to produce 80,000 annual rifles to progressively replace the 400,000 in use by the public force.
The Minister @Pedrosanchezcol He officially presented our new indumile rifle, a tool that is the result of Colombian engineering and that will represent an important advance in the technological development of our industry that is leading this government.
OK… pic.twitter.com/njt2vieull
– Mindhensa (@Mindefensa) SEPTEMBER 25, 2025
The president said that the new rifle will not only strengthen the defense of the country, but will also open the door by exports: “You will observe that, in a few years, much of the budget of the Ministry of Defense goes out for rifle exports to the world. I put a name, but I leave freedom that you choose the one you want. That it sounds like Colombia.”
With these words, Petro made it clear that his bet is not limited to replacing foreign weapons with nationals, but to transforming the military industry into an economic and strategic engine for the country.
The background of this revelation goes beyond a speech: it plays the sovereignty in state security. Petro said that “weapons were not of us and it seems to me an unworthy act to have been taking care here with weapons from another government, of the United States government.” He even went further to ensure that the implicit message he received was: “We don’t care if they kill him.”
With a challenging and personal tone, he closed: “I will see how I defend myself. I have managed to live 65 years well lived, very intense, cool, I like my life.”
🔴The President @Petrogustavo He revealed that the Nariño Palace was guarded with foreign weapons.
The president denounced that the 150 weapons, including rifles and an anti -urban system, which guarded the Nariño Palace belonged to the United States. After the request for … pic.twitter.com/earhorzeao
– Colombia Presidency 🇨🇴 (@infoPresidencia) October 3, 2025
You can also read:
