The governor of Valle del Cauca, Dilian Francisca Toro, reported the purchase of signal jammers for drones in order to counteract attacks carried out by illegal armed groups in the region. This effort seeks to mitigate the 25 incidents recorded so far this year in the southwest of the country, where dissidents and guerrillas have used drones to harass public forces and the civilian population.
Toro declared that the acquisition process of this equipment will be carried out urgently and will depend on the technical specifications provided by the armed institutions: “We are already in the process of having the Army and the Police see which is the most suitable technological device to be able to buy it, and we are going to buy it on an emergency basis, because we cannot wait for them to buy it from the Ministry, that would be waiting “Who knows how long, as long as they are throwing grenades at us from a drone and that affects our civilian population,” in the words of the governor.
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Likewise, the president explained that the department will use its own resources to purchase these devices and will not wait for help from the Ministry of Defense, underlining the immediate need to have this technology to protect both uniformed personnel and civilians.
The increase in the use of drones by groups outside the law has transformed the dynamics of the armed conflict in Colombia. These technological devices can launch explosive grenades from the air, with an operation duration of 30 minutes and a range of up to three kilometers of operation. Drones have the ability to intercept and neutralize drone signals, which have been used by guerrillas and dissidents to launch explosive grenades.
The use of drones in the Colombian conflict is not new, but it has become more relevant with the escalation of hostilities. Likewise, the impact of drones on the conflict is such that some guerrilla fronts, such as the Comuneros Front in Nariño, have formed specialized teams of “drone fighters.” These developments reflect a significant change in the tactics used in the Colombian war. In response, law enforcement began to develop protocols and acquire technology to confront this threat.
BesidesKevin Murakami, director of the Counternarcotics and Law Enforcement Section at the US Embassy, confirmed that the US will assist Colombia by providing modern technology to combat drone attacks. This international support is considered vital to strengthen the capabilities of the Colombian public force.
In addition to technological support, local leaders, including the mayor of Cali, Alejandro Éder, have advocated for greater investment by the central government to strengthen the security forces. “We are working to set up these defense implements against drones, but it also has to come from the public force and the national government and above all greater force against illegal ones”reiterated the Cali president.
In addition, officials demanded more forceful actions and sufficient resources from the government of President Gustavo Petro to confront this new type of conflict. These events highlight the tensions between regional leaders and the central government, who have been asked to respond more firmly to the increase in drone attacks. The authorities thus seek to equip security forces with the necessary tools to protect the population and guarantee their safety.
