Lighter, economical and “autonomous”: Colombia presented its first combat rifle with a view to replacing the weapons with which it faces guerrillas and drug traffickers after breaking with Israel, One of its main suppliers and military allies.
President Gustavo Petro ended in 2024 the purchase of weapons from Israel in protest at the offensive in the Gaza Strip ordered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
(Read more: Trump da ultimátum to Hamas to accept his peace plan)
In coincidence with that measure, The state military industry (Indumil) presented the first combat weapon manufactured in the country to progressively replace the Galil, An Israeli component rifle assembled in Colombia since the 90s.
According to figures, The country produced some 30,000 weapons of this type per year. With the Galil, the military against guerrillas and narcos that traffic with illegal cocaine and gold have fought for three decades.
The agency AFP visited The Indumil factory, the public company authorized to prepare weapons and ammunition, In Soacha (Cundinamarca). There these are born New steel and polymer weapons, 15% lighter and 25% cheaper than the Galil.
Its manager, The retired colonel Javier Camargo, He assured that the goal is to manufacture 400,000 rifles in five years “To go paulatimanete replacing in the forces (armed) the current armament“And so Colombia has” autonomy. ”
(Read more: Closing of the US government. It is imminent after voting failure in the Senate)
Fabrica Jose Maria Cordova de Indumil
AFP
Petro recently arrested weapons from the United States After the president, Donald Trump, withdraw Colombia from the list of allies in the anti -drug fight.
The president said that the country must create their own weapons to have a true army of “national sovereignty”.
However, experts have pointed out that the country It does not have this production capacity and costs would mean a strong fiscal blow.
To the long internal conflict, in Colombia weapons of multiple countries have been used. Before the Galil, the Public Force used German-made G-3 rifles. The extinct Guerrillas Farc went to the black market to acquire the Soviet AK-47.
(Read more: the ‘enemy’ that the government would have to change the FTAs with the USA and Israel)
Fabrica Jose Maria Cordova de Indumil
AFP
(Read more: What should happen to change the FTA with the USA. And finish the one with Israel?)
AFP
