[ad_1]
Through a couple of chats of Army officers, a photo is circulating of a worker erasing the word ‘Damascus’ from the sign of a military cafe located in the Army Doctrine Center.
And yet another reported that his superiors prohibited uttering the same word in training on military doctrine.
(We invite you to read: Hard letter of resignation from the director of military doctrine of the Army)
Colonel Pedro Rojas Guevara.
Nexus with Havana?
Both episodes reveal an internal fight that ended in the retirement of Colonel Pedro Javier Rojas, director of the National Army Doctrine Center, who assures that the order was given to end Damascus – the Army modernization project – for an alleged nexus with the peace process in Havana. That is why, after 33 years of service, Rojas told President Iván Duque that he was leaving due to distrust in the high command.
(It may interest you: Operation Baton: uncovering corruption in the Army)
“I must show you in a respectful but emphatic way that I have absolutely lost confidence in the institutional High Command, headed by General Eduardo Zapateiro, commander of the Army, which prevents me from continuing under his orders”, says the letter, revealed by TIME.
I have absolutely lost confidence in the High Command, headed by General Eduardo Zapateiro, Commander of the Army, which prevents me from continuing under his orders
General Eduardo Zapateiro, commander of the Army, abstained from commenting on Rojas’ letter and the future of Damascus.
Mauricio Moreno. TIME
And to reporters from this newspaper he added that there is a leadership crisis –reflected in the fact that there are 25 fewer generals–, an internal division and a distrust of the troops.
EL TIEMPO sought out the Army Commander, General Eduardo Zapateiro, but declined to speak both about Colonel Rojas’s remarks and the future of Damascus.
(Also: What happened to key files from Operation Baton?)
An official, who requested anonymity, affirmed that gabelas given to the FARC undermined the confidence of some who believe that Damascus obeyed part of the Havana agreements: “Nobody wants to risk being prosecuted after having fought terrorism, drug trafficking and crime.”
Colonel Rojas’ retirement letter has been in Casa de Nariño for more than a month.
And the president of Acore, General (r.) Jaime Ruiz, says that much of what Damascus collected already existed: “It generated rejection from the beginning as ethereal and confused. It was right for General Zapateiro to withdraw his name ”.
(In context: What happened to key files from Operation Baton?)
But Rojas is emphatic in that it is a great mistake to associate Damascus with Havana: “The decision to erase it has surprised leaders of other armies that have replicated the model, such as Canada, Ecuador, Nigeria, Thailand, Peru, Panama and the Dominican Republic. . We are global partners of NATO because Damascus exists, it is the common professional language and the strategic-operational umbilical cord ”.
A sector of the Army assures that the Damascus doctrine was part of the peace talks in Havana between the Santos government and the FARC.
And the silver?
According to internal documents of the Army, the development of the new military doctrine – which includes principles, foundations, tactics, techniques, procedures and new operational concepts – was projected to 2030, with a budget of 31,000 million pesos, of which they have already been executed. about 5,000.
However, there is a budget lag in the assigned resources, and even the resources assigned this year by National Planning were blocked in January and unblocked in October.
(See here all the articles of the Investigative Unit of EL TIEMPO)
Defense Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo is expected to comment on the matter.
INVESTIGATIVE UNIT
[email protected]@UinvestigativaET
[ad_2]
