This alliance has led to the presentation of 242 municipalities as free of suspected contamination by these mines.
Colombia is the only NATO member country in Latin America.
“Our members of the Military Forces, in fulfilment of their constitutional mandate to protect our people, represent 60 percent of the total number of victims of anti-personnel mines.” deputy Minister of Defense, Sandra Alzate.
On behalf of the National Government, the deputy Minister of Defense, Sandra Alzate received humanitarian demining machines: two trucks for mobile workshops, a tractor truck and a platform for containers, from Japan, corresponding to an investment of more than 2 billion COP.
“This sum of efforts has led Colombia to become a global benchmark in humanitarian demining and the fight against improvised explosive devices,” said the deputy Minister of Defense.
The deputy minister, accompanied by Ambassador Takasugi Masahiro, the second commander of the National Army, Major General Moreno and the commander of the Command of Military Engineers, brigadier general, Pérez Mahecha, announced that this donation is the way to the construction of humanitarian Resources that benefit the entire country.
Japan has always been a strategic ally for Colombia in strengthening national expertise in mitigating the installation of Anti-personnel mines.
Between 2018 and 2019, the Engineering Brigade received seven weeding machines, a cable removal machine,14 vans, two mobile workshops, four forklift trucks and other items and instructions donated very generously by Japan, which have facilitated Humanitarian Demining tasks and have led Colombia to gain 247 municipalities free of suspected contamination by these mines.
It is with deeds that the National Government has worked on the fight against antipersonnel mines with more than 5,000 men and women of the National Capacity for Humanitarian Demining work with determination.
“My respect for the men and women who face millimeter by millimeter, centimeter by centimeter and meter by meter this problem, you are our first line to custody the sovereignty and the defense of the Colombians and also put in risk the life for the country,” Alzate said emphatically.
In the same way, the ambassador of Japan, Takasugi Masahiro, highlighted his country's support to Colombia, “we have cooperated with you since 2001, with more than USD$ 19 million to the operation against antipersonnel mines, especially we have focused on humanitarian demining and assistance to help the victims.”
Colombia, as the only NATO member country in Latin America, is today a world leader in Humanitarian demining and in the fight against improvised explosive devices, leading today to export knowledge and lessons learned to all countries that require it.
“We are working hard to arrive in the 131 municipalities that still have a high level of contamination by anti-personnel mines or security conditions that hinder humanitarian demining,” said Alzate.
During the granting of this donation, a sample of the productive projects that are in the mine-free zones of different municipalities was shown. Chocolate, coffee cheese, beer and rudimentary products such as leather hats were presented there, among others.
Source: Defence Sector Communications Office - Ministry of Defence
