Army sources confirm to the media that the Damascus Doctrine and Doctrine Center continues

Sources from the Colombian National Army confirmed to national media, this December 1, that the Center for Military Doctrine continues with its functions within the institution, just as the Damascus doctrine that became a trend this weekend is still in force.

These statements offered to the media El Tiempo and Blu Radio came after the controversial letter of resignation from the director of the National Army Doctrine Center, Colonel Pedro Javier Rojas, became known, who indicated that the dismantling of the doctrine of Damascus was ordered, which seeks to modernize the military force, by the Army Commander Eduardo Enrique Zapateiro.

According to Colonel Rojas, this doctrine was being dismantled due to its relationship with the peace process between the Government of Juan Manuel Santos and the FARC guerrillas, which did not have the support of the high command of the Army.

According to Blu Radio, Army sources indicated that what is happening within the institution They are continuous changes that not only correspond to that of the Army Doctrine Center but to the entire Force to “strengthen all the personnel that make it up,” the media pointed out.

Similarly, the radio station learned that Colonel Jorge Eduardo Cepeda had been assigned the leadership of the Doctrine Center, which according to the Army is an office that has been strengthened and has more than 50 members.

For its part, the newspaper El Tiempo indicated that sources within the institution indicated that it is not true that the Damascus doctrine will cease to function within the institution, in fact, they assured that 30 instruction manuals are being produced.

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“It is not a political issue, it is the tactical, operational and strategic guidelines of military action”, Indicated a high ranking official to El Tiempo.

The Damascus doctrine, according to the same institutional documents, seeks to modernize the Colombian Army, since due to the internal armed conflict of more than 50 years, the force has concentrated its efforts on counter-insurgent operations so far from the armies that they are in NATO, an organization that would have reached the end of the term of Juan Manuel Santos.

After 33 years of service in the Colombian Army, Colonel Pedro Javier Rojas, requested his voluntary retirement from President Iván Duque, after he pointed out that the Damascus doctrine, which seeks to modernize this military force, does not have the backing from senior institutional commanders.

According to the letter, the content of which was revealed by the newspaper El Tiempo over the weekend, the officer would leave his post because in addition to the lack of support, he also distrusts the Army commander, General Eduardo Enrique Zapateiro.

“I must show respectfully but emphatically to the President of the Republic, that I have absolutely lost confidence in the institutional High Command”He indicated in one of the sections of the letter that it would have reached Duque in September, according to El Tiempo.

Colonel Rojas also pointed out in the newspaper El Tiempo that, within the Army, there is incompetence and a lack of leadership that has had a negative impact on the lack of trust on the part of middle managers and soldiers.

“We have 25 fewer generals than there should be and officers of other ranks have also come out”the officer stated.

In that sense, he denounced that the work he has been doing since 2011 with the Damascus doctrine wants to be erased outright.

“Generals Navas, Mantilla, Rodríguez, Lasprilla, Mejía, Gómez and Martínez supported the doctrinal evolution called Damascus, within the framework of the Army transformation plan (2011-2030). The strange thing is that the current commander wants to erase something that has been beneficial for the institution“, Said the officer in El Tiempo.

In another interview he gave to W Radio, Rojas indicated that the modernization doctrine he led has been misunderstood within the Army and that contrary to what his opponents think, he does not seek to weaken the force, but rather to strengthen it to maintain the peace.

“Damascus expands capabilities, we can no longer only face insurgent threats such as guerrillas or dissidents. Now we have more capabilities and we have new doctrinal tools to face all kinds of threats, including potential external threats “he said on the radio.

At the moment, neither General Zapateiro, commander of the Army, nor President Iván Duque have pronounced on the resignation of Colonel Rojas.

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