Hundreds of pieces of military equipment, including bullets, grenades and some anti-tank weapons were pilfered from a Colombian army base, and among the missiles stolen was a new rocket that Colombia had just unveiled last year, according to reports.
President Gustavo Petro said in a statement Tuesday that the ammunition and weapons could have been delivered to armed groups in Colombia or sold on the international black market to criminal groups like those operating in Haiti.
Among the hardware taken from the bases were two Rafael Spike ER anti-tank missiles and 37 Nimrod missiles, both of which are made in Israel, accordig to Colombia Reports. The Colombian Army first unveiled the Spike anti-tank missiles it acquired for the first time in February 2023, according to Janes.com, which reports on defense and security issues.
The missiles can be mounted on Humvees, giving them added mobility and added range.
"The only way to explain these missing items is that there are networks made up of people within the armed forces who are involved in the illegal arms trade," Petro said, according to the Associated Press, adding that an investigation is underway and an inspection of the bases would continue to "separate the armed forces from any type of criminal organization.
Petro on Wednesday also said he will cut diplomatic ties with Israel because of the war in Gaza against Hamas, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of carrying out a campaign of genocide.
The Colombian Army "understands that it must strengthen the Spike LR anti-tank systems (with a 4 km range) with Spike ER anti-tank missiles (with an 8 km range) to counter possible armoured incursions from neighbouring countries, which have Main Battle Tanks, platforms that currently do not exist in Colombia," Janes.com reported in March 2023, citing military documents.
