Colombia Swears In a New Military and Police High Command
Colombia's new military high command took office at a Bogotá cadet school. The president ordered it to retake territory and to treat armed groups as terrorists. The post Colombia Swears In a New Military and Police High Command appeared first on The Rio Times .
President Abelardo de la Espriella inaugurated a new military and police high command in Bogota on August 26, ordering them to recapture security across the country. The ceremony took place at the Escuela Militar de Cadetes General José María Córdova, with Defense Minister Jorge Eduardo Mora by his side. Over 360 uniformed personnel attended the formal change of command.
The new military commanders include Major General Erick Rodríguez Aparicio, who will lead the Military Forces, Major General Carlos Enrique Carrasquilla Gómez as chief of the Joint Staff, and Major General José Bertulfo Soto Sánchez commanding the National Army. Vice Admiral Javier Alfonso Jaimes Pinilla now leads the Navy, the first to lead the Amazon naval force.
Major General Juan Jaime Martínez Ossa oversees the air arm, which is reverting to its former name, the Colombian Air Force. General Jesús Alejandro Barrera Peña, called back from retirement, serves as director general of the National Police. President de la Espriella emphasized treating illegal armed groups as terrorists and vowed not to negotiate peace with them.
He also barred government officials from communicating with those groups. The military high command was tasked with combating organized crime, regaining territory from armed groups, and protecting civilians. Since August 7, the government claims to have killed 21 armed organization leaders and arrested over 530 people. The military force now numbers more than 180,000 personnel across the army, navy, and air force.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported a record 261,000 hectares of coca cultivation in Colombia in 2024, a 3.5% increase from the previous year. Displacement and confinement due to illegal armed groups were highest in Antioquia, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Bolívar, Cauca, and Meta. The defense budget shortfall for 2026 is reported at 14 trillion pesos (US$4.5 billion), with an additional 1.6 trillion pesos (US$513 million) missing for personnel costs.
Only 52% of the air force's 386 aircraft were operational, creating a readiness gap for the upcoming territorial push.
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