President Petro Announces Military Leadership Changes for 2026 and Highlights Record Cocaine Seizures

Original article: Presidente Petro confirma cambios en cúpula militar para 2026 y destaca récord histórico en incautación de cocaína

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has confirmed the reconfiguration of the country’s military high command, emphasizing that in 2026, the focus will be on «security and democracy.»

In this context, the president praised the Armed Forces’ efforts in 2025: «The outgoing commanders led significant military operations, notably the recovery of the municipality of El Plateado, Argelia, Cauca.»

«There, more than a hundred members of the faction led by alias Mordisco were expelled, without causing collateral damage to the over 8,000 farmers living in the area. This has supported our progress in transforming the territory towards legality and freeing our farmers from the bondage of drug trafficking,» emphasized Gustavo Petro.

President Petro also highlighted, «Under their leadership, we achieved a historic record in cocaine seizures in 2025. It is estimated that we will reach 1,000 tons seized, which equates to over 12 billion doses that will not enter consumer countries.»

«They also increased the offensive by 27% compared to the previous year and neutralized over 4,400 members of the most dangerous drug trafficking cartels,» Petro noted, detailing that in 2025, the highest quantity of weaponry was seized in the last decade.

Finally, President Petro pointed out that the public force’s personnel increased by 6%, contrasting with the reductions made by previous presidents Duque and Santos, who decreased by -11% and -4%, respectively.

The Citizen