Likewise, President Petro’s message to the troops was to “build an alliance” between soldiers and peasants to “build a nation” aimed at peace and the protection of natural resources.
“What achieves peace is the union between the military forces and their people that have been broken by terrible events and we must rebuild (…) the alliance with the popular people, the peasants and the people (…) I invite you to a hug between soldiers and the people,” he said.
Peter said that each soldier must be prepared, educated and taught “so that his life after the military is better, and that implies that there are no barriers for a soldier to become a general.”
The president also added and invited a reform within the forces that, according to him, “involves a change in the way they are educated in these schools (…) that a soldier when he comes out professional has the options to be able to live and not have to become a mercenary of an illegal Army (…) that the soldier enters without being charged anything and manages to be a non-commissioned officer or officer (…) in a Peace Army in which every General passes for being a soldier”.
“That he does not have and become a mercenary in another country to be able to support his family. That he has the capabilities to be able to live with dignity once he leaves the military forces, ”Petro proposed.
Petro’s message was given in the middle of the presentation and recognition ceremony of the troops to the president, Defense Minister Iván Velásquez, the Commander of the Military Forces, Helder Giraldo and other commanders.
