President Petro Announces Colombia Will Seek to Manufacture its Own Weapons

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has declared that the South American nation will seek to produce its own weapons, as part of a strategy to guarantee the independence of its public forces and respond to challenges such as crime and the climate crisis.

“Our goal is to have an independent public defense,” President Petro stated this Wednesday, July 9, during a speech at the International Aeronautical and Space Fair – F-AIR Colombia 2025. “We have decided that in terms of purchasing weapons that we do not produce, we will continue to do so with many countries, but we will also manufacture our own weapons.”

The president explained that the plan also includes restoring obsolete equipment and strengthening strategic industries.

“Weapons manufacturing has advanced in the naval industry, and they are beginning to advance in the aeronautical industry. Today we make drones; we should already be making airplanes,” said Petro, who emphasized that the goal is to reduce dependence on external suppliers and prevent the country from weakening in the face of geopolitical uncertainty. Colombia is currently manufacturing ships and developing its first frigate, financed by the government.

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Petro noted that strengthening the naval industry will allow for an expanded maritime presence and support for humanitarian and security missions in the Caribbean. He also said that modernization will encompass cyber defense and the development of capabilities in quantum computing, to strengthen defense systems to be able to confront 21st-century threats.

The head of state said that this step seeks, in addition to combating organized crime, to prepare public forces for rescue and disaster mitigation tasks arising from climate change, as well as to contribute to peace and stability in the region overall.

(Sputnik)

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

OT/JRE/AU