At a forum on Colombia last week organized by the Atlantic Council think tank Several of the panelists expressed their concern about the public order situation in the country and the “talent drain” that has occurred in the public force. One of them was the former United States ambassador to Colombia Kevin Whitaker.
EL TIEMPO consulted him later to delve into his concern and the long-term effects that the exits that are being presented could have on the security apparatus and that the majority have been decreed by President Gustavo Petro since he arrived at the House of Nariño.
According to Whitaker, Colombia has lost “decades of experience” with the forced retirement of senior and experienced officers that will take years to recover. Something that, according to the former ambassador, is unprecedented.
Whitaker starts by highlighting the obvious: that every government, including Petro’s, has the right to choose the leadership that best suits the public forces it heads.
“Civilian control of the military is a central concept of institutional democracy. Changes in high command at the beginning of administrations are common in Colombia, and this was also the case with the current Government,” says Whitaker.
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However, he points out, “over the last year there has been an unprecedented loss of senior officers in the military and police forces.”
Since Petro became president, more than 60 generals from both the Police and the Army have retired.
“The reasons for this vary, but I would make three observations. First, more high-ranking officers (colonels and generals) than usual have left the service under Petro. Second, the decision to remove officers because they have been investigated may lead to the dismissal of Colombia’s most effective commanders. And while, to the extent that this is aimed at tackling corruption and human rights abuses, that is understandable and welcome, at least some of the forced retirees were separated simply for having an investigation underway. And in that sense, it is worth highlighting that, under Colombian law, “Any military action that results in deaths is investigated so any officer who has commanded troops in combat probably was or will be investigated,” warns the former ambassador.
Finally, Whitaker adds: “The Petro administration’s oft-expressed concerns about intelligence units across the services have led to a significant loss of human capital.”
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According to the former official, The retirement of so many officers and in such a short time generates a profound challenge since they, by definition, have accumulated extensive experience and are the best qualified to address the complex security situation at the organizational and regional level in Colombia.
Parallel, Promoting officials to positions for which they would not be prepared also carries a risk.
“Colombia – says Whitaker – continues to need effective and high-performance armed and police forces. It faces unprecedented threats, with new and strengthened armed groups in Colombia and beyond, and with those forces benefiting from increased finances thanks to the enormous amount of coca grown in the country and the new source of income from cocaine smuggling. migrants,” explains the former ambassador.
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Additionally, points out that the Petro government’s Total Peace efforts are an additional complication, as they could discourage the dissuasive actions of state forces and at the same time energize criminal groups.
To put his concern into context, Whitaker mentions an example from his years in Colombia.
“The last time I visited Tolemaida Air Base, before leaving my position in 2019, I saw dozens of Blackhawks helicopters lined up on the ramp, stored due to lack of funds to maintain them. If tomorrow Colombia decided to put those devices back into flying condition, with the right amount of money, most of them could be in the air in a short time. It is not like that with human beings. It takes decades of experience, learning, successes and failures to form a competent military or police commander with the vision and the strategic criteria necessary to excel at the highest level,” said the former diplomat, who today advises the Atlantic Council think tank.
According to Whitaker, the sum of Petro’s actions and the retirement of other officers for various reasons, have led to the Colombian public force having “lost many decades of experience that will take years to recover.”
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What is the solution from Whitaker’s perspective?
Washington’s commitment to Colombia on security issues has been particularly solid, deep and successful
The only way to begin to correct the problem – he affirms – is from the root: Identify and train talented officers and give them the time to gain experience and the criteria necessary to be successful.
In that sense, Whitaker suggests that the Government count on the US for this process as it did in the past.
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“Washington’s commitment to Colombia on security issues has been particularly solid, deep and successful. Our training has emphasized “integration” (collaboration between the various forces) and has included instruction at the tactical, operational and strategic levels. All of the best officers I had the honor of working with in Colombia – such as Generals Alberto Mejía, Carlos Bueno, Jorge Vargas and many more – had the opportunity to receive US training. Their races were a cornerstone of Colombia’s achievements in restoring its security situation. For this reason, we can and must continue to be partners of Colombia in this effort towards the future,” concludes the former ambassador.
SERGIO GÓMEZ MASERI
EL TIEMPO correspondent
Washington
In X: @sergom68
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