{"id":155311,"date":"2025-07-13T00:27:55","date_gmt":"2025-07-13T00:27:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/the-former-defense-director-responded-to-petro-and-warned-about-security-risks-due-to-budget-constraints-there-is-a-genuine-danger\/"},"modified":"2025-07-13T00:27:56","modified_gmt":"2025-07-13T00:27:56","slug":"the-former-defense-director-responded-to-petro-and-warned-about-security-risks-due-to-budget-constraints-there-is-a-genuine-danger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/the-former-defense-director-responded-to-petro-and-warned-about-security-risks-due-to-budget-constraints-there-is-a-genuine-danger\/","title":{"rendered":"The former Defense Director responded to Petro and warned about security risks due to budget constraints: “There is a genuine danger.”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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<\/picture>
According to Soler, the government only assigned 61.2 billion, which represents an 18% cut – Credit Military Forces<\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Colombia’s Defense Budget Crisis: A Deepening Concern<\/h2>\n

In a nation grappling with ongoing security challenges, the proposed \u00a0military budget\u00a0 for Colombia has ignited heated discussions and raised alarms among security officials. Retired Colonel Carlos Soler has emerged as a vocal critic, questioning the government’s commitment to national security amidst a significant \u00a0budget cut\u00a0 as projected for 2025.<\/p>\n

Soler’s poignant remarks were shared via social media, expressing his concerns over what he termed as a \u00a0“strong national controversy”\u00a0 surrounding the military budget. According to the Colonel, only \u00a061.2 billion pesos\u00a0 were approved for the defense sector, translating into an \u00a018% reduction\u00a0 from the \u00a073.6 billion pesos\u00a0 initially requested by the General Command of Military Forces. This decrease poses a serious threat to the operational capacity of Colombia’s military and police forces in fulfilling their responsibilities to protect citizens.<\/p>\n

\"Colonel<\/picture>
The colonel (R) accused the Petro government of having weakened the action of the public force with its “total peace” policy – C\u00e9sar Carri\u00f3n\/Presidency credit<\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The Implications of a Budget Cut on Security Operations<\/h2>\n

Soler warned that the ramifications of such budgetary decisions might result in catastrophic consequences for \u00a0national security operations\u00a0. He unveiled alarming statistics, stating that essential military equipment like the \u00a0M-17 helicopters\u00a0 and \u00a0Black Hawk helicopters\u00a0 are largely grounded due to resource shortages, thus hampering the force’s ability to respond effectively to security threats.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u00a0There are no helicopters; all M-17s are on land\u00a0,\u201d Soler emphasized. He further noted that logistical constraints mean soldiers and police are often left without adequate transport while armed groups move about freely. Such a \u00a0situation not only jeopardizes national security\u00a0 but also increases the risk for both law enforcement and civilians in conflict-laden areas.<\/p>\n

Total Peace or Total Chaos? A Policy at Odds<\/h2>\n

The retired colonel also linked the current operational challenges to President \u00a0Gustavo Petro’s\u00a0 \u00a0total peace policy\u00a0, which he accuses of undermining the military’s effectiveness. He stated, \u201c\u00a0Who let the illegal armed groups advance? The president did.\u00a0\u201d This declaration reflects growing frustration over perceived failings in addressing the increasing violence from armed factions.<\/p>\n

\"Petro<\/picture>
Petro assured that his government seeks to modernize the weapons of the Public Force – Colprensa credit<\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The Government’s Response and Future Outlook<\/h2>\n

In response to the allegations coming from the military ranks, President Petro refuted the claims, declaring, \u201c\u00a0A pleaded disinformer\u00a0 has emerged, simply a liar.\u201d His administration states a commitment not only to the \u00a0dignity of the soldiers\u00a0 but also to \u00a0modernizing\u00a0 military capabilities, ensuring they are well-equipped to face the challenges ahead. He emphasized the need for holistic care for soldiers and taking pride in their contributions to national security.<\/p>\n

As tensions continue to escalate regarding military readiness, the retired colonel’s comments reflect deep-seated fears regarding the impact of budgetary decisions on Colombia’s security landscape. Local citizens are left to wonder about the balance between fighting crime and maintaining the dignity and capabilities of their forces. Potential legal actions being considered against the government highlight an intensifying struggle between military necessities and political decisions.<\/p>\n

In an era marked by a \u00a0growing focus on civilian safety\u00a0, public discussions about the \u00a0military budget\u00a0 are crucial, especially where the nation’s security is concerned. The intricate dance between fiscal responsibility and military readiness will ultimately define the outcome of Colombia\u2019s security approach in the years to come.<\/p>\n


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General News – 2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

According to Soler, the government only assigned 61.2 billion, which represents an 18% cut – Credit Military Forces Colombia’s Defense Budget Crisis: A Deepening Concern In a nation grappling with ongoing security challenges, the proposed \u00a0military budget\u00a0 for Colombia has ignited heated discussions and raised alarms among security officials. Retired Colonel Carlos Soler has emerged […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":155312,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[2119,20163,215,555,3251,587,24558,2713,350,4327,2648,1230],"class_list":["post-155311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mazagine","tag-budget","tag-constraints","tag-danger","tag-defense","tag-director","tag-due","tag-genuine","tag-petro","tag-responded","tag-risks","tag-security","tag-warned"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155311","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=155311"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155311\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/155312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=155311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=155311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=155311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}