Petro denounces the lack of more than a million projectiles and ammunition in military bases

Colombian President Gustavo Petro raised concerns on Tuesday regarding the disappearance of over a million projectiles and ammunition, including missiles, from various military bases in the country. He suggested that these weapons may have fallen into the hands of international arms trafficking networks or illegal armed groups.

“The only plausible explanation for such a significant shortage is the existence of networks comprising military personnel and civilians involved in a large-scale arms trade, utilizing the legal weapons of the Colombian State,” stated the president during a House session held in Nariño.

According to Petro, inspections were carried out at the Tolemaida Fort in the central department of Tolima, as well as at the Army’s 10th Brigade base in the northern region of the country.

At Tolemaida, the president highlighted the following shortages: 746 81-millimeter caliber grenades, 3,712 M-26 hand grenades, 2,880 40-millimeter grenades, 1,590 60-millimeter grenades, 797 40-millimeter chain-link grenades, 8,203 7.62 caliber ammunition, 41,745 5.56 caliber ammunition, 131,577 7.62 caliber ammunition, and 626,614 5.56 caliber ammunition.

Meanwhile, at the 10th Brigade base, the missing weapons include two Spike missiles, 37 Nimrod missiles (both Israeli-made), 550 RPG rockets, 22 155-millimeter grenades, 621 106-millimeter grenades, 1,077 105-millimeter howitzer grenades, 1,077 90-millimeter grenades, 960 81-millimeter grenades, and 1,218 60-millimeter grenades.

The inventories also reveal the absence of 4,171 40-millimeter grenades, 24 40 mm, 9,829 162 caliber ammunition, 761,551 5.56 caliber ammunition, 57,992 5.56 caliber Slap ammunition, and 1,262 .38 caliber ammunition.

Regarding the situation in Haiti, Petro stated, “As you can see, only the 5.56 ammunition alone accounts for over a million lost rounds.” He suggested that these stolen weapons were either sold to armed groups within Colombia or potentially used in foreign conflicts, with Haiti being one of the closest conflict zones accessible by speedboat from the 10th Brigade base located in the Colombian Caribbean region.

The president also expressed his regret that “it is often these very same munitions that lead to injuries and fatalities among our military personnel.” He further warned that inspections in other military bases across the country will continue to identify and dismantle such criminal networks.