Mindefensa defends its management: ‘The Government does not have the Public Force tied up’

He National governmenton a regular basis, has been sharing achievements regarding the seizure of illicit substances intended to be sold illegally abroad.

These blows to illegal drug trafficking carried out by the current administration of Gustavo Petro were detailed by the Minister of Defense, Iván Velásquezwho in an interview with EL TIEMPO, also spoke about the military objectives that the Government has.

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The minister made reference to the offensive in the Pacific to “to recover the legitimate control of the State over the El Plateado district of the municipality of Argelia“, adding that work continues to consolidate true territorial control in the region.

“The consolidation of territorial control continues, particularly since the end of March, when the National Government suspended the ceasefire with the so-called ‘Central General Staff’ (EMC) in the departments of Nariño, Cauca and Valle del Cauca, a decision that has generated by that criminal organization a terrorist reaction directed against the population and the Public Force“he asserted.

Stalabrum, as he claims, Other actions in the area have been coordinated with the Casa de Nariño, such as action against illegal mining and drug trafficking..

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“With the President of the Republic, we have given the order to increase the military offensive with all our capabilities, which includes increasing actions against illegal mining and drug trafficking, sources of enrichment for illegal armed forces.“Velasquez explained.

He also made it clear that a ceasefire will not be declaredthis in the face of the escalation of violence in Valle del Cauca.

“The Government responds that the ceasefire with the EMC in the southwest of the country will not be decreed again, that its reestablishment is not even a subject of analysis or evaluation, that the President’s order to increase offensive operations against all factions of those dissidents is being fully implemented and will continue until full territorial control of the region is achieved“, he stated.

The Defense Minister also spoke about the alleged complaint by the opposition that the Government would supposedly be tying up the Public Force to give greater strength to its policy of ‘total peace’ensuring that said claim is false.

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“If that were the Government’s intention, why spend resources on strengthening it by allocating more than a billion pesos for the incorporation of the new 36,000 members that we are training? Although certainly the ceasefire that is still in force with some armed organizations, such as the Emc, which operates in territories other than the southwestern part of the country, and the ELN, does not allow for the advancement of offensive operations, which are those aimed at armed confrontation. , that does not prevent us from being present throughout the territory, counteracting criminal actions against communities, carrying out arrests in flagrante delicto or by court order, combating drug trafficking, illegal mining and extortion, etc.“, said.

And I add: “Additionally, the Public Force has all the capacity to combat other expressions of armed crime, such as the ‘Gulf clan’“.

The same way, He also spoke about the rumors that the Public Force would not trust President Petro.

“I have been able to directly appreciate that the commanders respect and abide by the leadership exercised by President Gustavo Petro; In the Public Force they recognize and appreciate that this government has had a concern for their well-being as had never happened in the past; The food item was significantly increased by 57.8 percent; With the support of the Congress of the Republic we have managed to increase the bonus for soldiers, marines and police auxiliaries who provide mandatory military service, and recently the legislative act was approved that definitively and indisputably establishes the 14th allowance for veterans and civilians of the Public Force“he explained.

And he added “Public order in Colombia requires an objective and balanced analysis of multiple factors. For many years, the country has experienced spikes in violence and crime, with the increase in armed conflicts, drug trafficking and social problems that have tested the effectiveness of the forces to maintain order. The Ministry of Defense has not stopped designing and executing strategies and acting with all its capabilities to counter these threats, achieving significant progress in some areas. The public order situation in Colombia is complex and dynamic, influenced by political, economic and social factors, but this does not mean in any way that the Ministry of Defense has lost control of public order.“.

BRIEFCASE
*With information from EL TIEMPO – JUSTICIA