The conference Institutional Integrity and the Fight against Corruption held by the General Command of the Military Forces, through the Directorate for the Implementation of Transparency and Ethics Standards, concluded with great success. It was held in the Battle of Ayacucho Bicentenary Auditorium of the Rafael Reyes Prieto War College.
General Hugo Alejandro López Barreto, Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, highlighted the General Command of the Military Forces' firm anti-corruption watchdog. "The directive is clear: zero tolerance for corruption," he stated during a conference commemorating the National Day of the Fight against Corruption.
He also stated that this commitment is daily, sustained, and present in all the actions carried out by the members of the institution. He emphasized that there is no room for acts that betray the oath sworn to the Homeland, and that ethics and transparency are part of the very essence of the Colombian military. “The principles and values are non-negotiable and are strengthened in this institution, which requires us to always act with the highest moral standards,” he emphasized.
General López also emphasized that protecting institutions implies shielding them against corruption, defending them from private interests, and always preserving them in the service of the nation. “Protecting institutions is protecting Colombia,” he emphasized, while offering special thanks to Colonel Juan Carlos Orjuela Avilés, chief of the Directorate for the Implementation of Transparency and Ethics Standards of the General Command of the Military Forces, for his leadership and work on the Glaucus institutional campaign, which promotes ethics and transparency as fundamental pillars of the Military Forces.

The conference featured distinguished speakers who addressed key topics in the fight against corruption. Among them were María Paola Suárez Morales, Deputy Attorney General for the Military Forces, who spoke about the mechanisms for preventing, controlling, and punishing acts of corruption from the Inspector's Office; Juan Francisco Amézquita, from the Ministry of Defense, who presented reporting tools such as Hotline 157; Retired Navy Captain (PhD) Samuel Rivera Páez, who addressed moral disengagement as a cause of improper acts; Major Shirley Paulina Torres, who spoke about corruption risks in contracting and best practices; and Colonel José Luis Bastidas Moreno, who explained how transparency is implemented in military operations.
Two thematic panels were also held. The first discussed corruption prevention measures from the private sector, with the participation of Juan Pablo Rodríguez Cárdenas, Alejandro Mejía, and Felipe Serrano Martínez. The second addressed investigative skills and tools in the fight against corruption, with interventions by Brigadier General Marco Aurelio Bolívar Suárez, Attorney General of the Military Criminal Justice and Police, and Justino Hernández Murcia, specialized director of the fight against corruption.
This academic and institutional forum reaffirms the commitment of the Colombian Military Forces to integrity, transparency, and strengthening citizen trust, essential values in their role as a pillar of democracy and working to ensure the stability of the State.
Source: Strategic Communications, General Command of the Military Forces