Colombia Set to Choose NATO Fighter Jets Within Months, Minister Announces

By Luis Jaime Acosta

BOGOTA () - Colombia will decide within months from which NATO country it will purchase fighter jets, new Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez said, acknowledging that illegal armed groups have taken advantage of peace efforts to strengthen themselves militarily.

Colombia has been looking to replace its fleet of more than 30-year-old Israeli Kfir planes for more than a decade and is considering U.S.-made F-16s, Sweden's Gripen and France's Rafale, Sanchez said in a Sunday interview.

"This is an issue of sovereignty. We cannot leave Colombia unprotected in this capacity," said Sanchez, a former air force general who left the military to take up his ministerial post.

He would not say how much Colombia will spend on the planes or how many it will buy, but the government said in 2023 it had a $3.65 billion budget to purchase some 16 planes.

Groups such as the National Liberation Army (ELN) insurgents, ex-members of the disarmed Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) who have rearmed themselves, along with the criminal organisation known as the Clan del Golfo, have enhanced their military capabilities and increased their territorial control during ongoing peace initiatives. These include talks between the administration led by President Gustavo Petro and these factions, according to Sanchez.

Petro, Colombia's inaugural leftist president, vowed to conclude a six-decades-old conflict that has claimed 450,000 lives. However, with fewer than 17 months remaining in his term, he hasn't signed any agreements yet.

Taking part in peace discussions doesn’t require armed factions to cease unlawful actions. However, Sanchez pointed out that ongoing drug smuggling and illicit mining enabled these groups to boost their combat capabilities.

"He stated that 'they betrayed the Colombian people, amplified their narco-criminal influence, and it is essential to combat this issue,' " Sanchez mentioned.

Sanchez stated that should the United States decide to reduce or halt military assistance, it could undermine actions aimed at tackling "the scourge of narcotics trafficking." This includes initiatives targeting the manufacture of cocaine.

For several years, Washington has been progressively reducing military assistance, yet the funds provided by the U.S., which include support for social programmes, remain at approximately $400 million each year.

In 2023, Colombia was capable of producing approximately 2,664 metric tons of cocaine each year.

“If we break apart, we create room for the criminals,” Sanchez stated, commenting on the relationship between the U.S. and Colombia as well as the funding for drug-fighting initiatives.

(Luis Jamie Acosta Reporting; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Edited by Bill Berkrot)

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Colombia Warns Trump: Stay Off the Drug Blacklist

On Sunday, Colombia’s defense minister cautioned the Trump administration about designating his nation as non-compliant due to inadequate control of drug trafficking, stating that such action would likely result in an increased flow of cocaine into the United States.

The U.S. government is presently considering whether to "decertify" Colombia as a collaborator in the war on drugs, which might lead to cutting off millions of dollars in American military assistance and dealt a significant reputational blow to Colombia.

In a recent interview, newly appointed Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez stated that decertification would imply "we essentially lose our capacity to control the threat."

Being unable to control this situation would contradict the interests of the United States. If more cocaine were to arrive, the country wouldn’t become stronger, more prosperous, or safer.

Sanchez argued that breaking ties and collaboration among our states provides an opening for drug trafficking.

Colombia has initiated a diplomatic push to prevent being placed on a blacklist before a September review by the U.S. authorities.

However, numerous officials privately doubt that avoiding blacklisting is possible, which could jeopardize approximately half a billion dollars in yearly U.S. financial support.

Following President Gustavo Petro’s assumption of office in 2022, data from both the Colombian government and the UN indicate that the land area used for cultivating coca plants has risen by roughly 70 percent.

Trump has taken a hardline stance against drugs entering the United States from Mexico and Canada, hitting both countries with tariffs as apparent punishment.

There’s no affection lost between Trump and Colombia's equally combative President Petro.

Recently, they had an argument on social media regarding migrant deportations, which led Trump to consider imposing sanctions on Colombia.

- Plan Colombia -

For many years, the United States has invested billions of dollars in Colombia’s security forces, aiding efforts to combat insurgent groups and cartels responsible for producing more than 90 percent of the cocaine consumed in the U.S.

However, Petro’s key policy of “complete peace” has resulted in a reduction of military actions against drug-trafficking groups and the discontinuation of compulsory coca elimination efforts.

Sanchez acknowledged that complete tranquility has contributed to the bolstering of certain militant organizations.

He stated that they prospered due to their betrayal of the nation's good intentions.

He disclosed that the number of armed combatants had risen by approximately 1,500 over the past year.

The decertification would deal a significant setback to the Colombian military at a crucial time when they are attempting to restore their capabilities and reclaim areas from insurgent left-wing guerrillas.

Sanchez mentioned that the military's effectiveness has diminished over recent years due to reductions in defense funding.

"They lag behind in specific areas like intellectual capability; for instance, they are less advanced when it comes to intelligence. Additionally, we haven’t progressed swiftly enough in developing cutting-edge technologies, including drones and counter-drone systems," he stated.

The airplanes we use today aren't the same as those from a decade ago.

The United States previously decertified Colombia when Ernesto Samper was president. His 1994 election campaign faced accusations of accepting funds from the Cali drug cartel.

Certain crucial assistance was halted, and investments from abroad into Colombia decreased.

Ultimately, the US restarted financial support and, alongside a newly formed government in Bogotá, initiated "Plan Colombia"--a billion-dollar initiative aimed at transforming the Colombian security forces.

Even with today's difficulties, Sanchez stated that the military's objective was to establish territorial dominance across all of Colombia.

The ELN rebels presently hold sway over an area close to the Venezuelan border, leading to approximately 56,000 individuals being displaced due to conflict.

In a recent interview with , leaders from ELN declared their intention to fend off an impending governmental counterattack and warned that prolonged periods of "complete peace" could devolve into "all-out warfare."

Sánchez dismissed the ELN as a "narcotrafficking criminal organization" and pledged that they would face "the full extent of the law."

He additionally committed to reclaiming a significant cocaine-producing area in the southern part of the nation, an almost autonomous zone controlled by the EstadoMayor Central (Central General Staff).

Sánchez acknowledged that reclaiming territory was a "complex issue," yet he stated that it would indeed be accomplished.

We will need to make numerous sacrifices; there might be tears too, yet ultimately, we will succeed.

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