The Colombian plane crash site. Photo: Sky News.
The acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, sent her condolences to the families of members of Colombia’s National Army following the crash of a Colombian Air Force plane shortly after taking off from the Puerto Leguízamo Airport in the department of Putumayo, Colombia.
“Venezuela expresses its sincere condolences to the families of the members of the National Army and of the crew of the Colombian Aerospace Force who died in this tragic accident,” stated the acting president. “In these moments of uncertainty and pain, our prayers go with the injured, offering wishes for their prompt and full recovery.”
The Lockheed Martin Hercules C-130 aircraft was carrying troops from Colombia’s Public Force on board.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro, through social media, indicated that “so far, there are 77 injured in the hospital, one dead, and 43 people whose condition is yet to be determined.” The cause of the Hercules plane crash is still unknown.
Later, the Colombian president specified that 83 soldiers survived the crash and that the inhabitants of Putumayo helped them, crossing the runway and assisting them, which he praised.
“It is the people of Putumayo who saved them from death—they went all the way to the airport runway and brought water and love to the young men,” wrote President Petro. “This is how a homeland is built. I thank the fathers and mothers who ran the distance to the crashed Hercules aircraft to save the children of other mothers and fathers; I thank the soldiers who were there and ran to save the lives of their comrades—this is a beautiful proof of love and solidarity. I kneel before you. Let us aim for the maximum, the lowest number of lives lost… life is the priority of society and the state.”
Below is an unofficial translation of the full text of the communiqué of the Venezuelan government:
The acting president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez Gómez, on behalf of the Government and the Venezuelan people, expresses her deepest solidarity and sorrow to the people and Government of the Republic of Colombia following the unfortunate air accident that occurred this Monday, March 23, 2026, in Puerto Leguízamo, in the department of Putumayo.
Venezuela expresses its sincere condolences to the families of the members of the National Army and the crew of the Colombian Aerospace Force who died in this tragic accident. In these moments of uncertainty and pain, our prayers accompany the injured, offering wishes for their prompt and full recovery.
The Venezuelan people join the mourning that today engulfs the Colombian nation, reaffirming the value of life and the integrity of those who serve their homeland with honor.
Venezuela’s Delcy Rodríguez and Colombia’s Gustavo Petro to Meet Amid Shifting Regional Dynamics
(Últimas Noticias) by Aura Torrealba
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/CB/SL
Cameron Baillie is an award-winning journalist, editor, and researcher. He won and was shortlisted for awards across Britain and Ireland. He is Editor-in-Chief of New Sociological Perspectives graduate journal and Commissioning Editor at The Student Intifada newsletter. He spent the first half of 2025 living, working, and writing in Ecuador. He does news translation and proofreading work with The Orinoco Tribune.
