Colombia Military Crash kills at Least 66 in Putumayo
A military plane crash in southern Colombia killed at least 66, prompting scrutiny over procurement and accountability.
Rescue teams work at the crash site in Putumayo following a military aircraft accident. Photo: EFE
March 24, 2026 Hour: 12:44 am
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Petro questions aircraft procurement after fatal crash involving security forces
At least 66 members of Colombia’s security forces were killed Monday after a military aircraft crashed in Puerto Leguízamo, in the southern department of Putumayo, near the border with Ecuador, authorities confirmed.
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Those killed include 58 members of the National Army, six from the Aerospace Force, and two from the National Police, according to the commander of the Military Forces, Hugo Alejandro López Barreto.
The aircraft was carrying 128 people: 11 crew members, 115 Army personnel, and two police officers. Rescue teams have so far saved 57 survivors, while four military personnel remain missing.
President Gustavo Petro expressed his reaction on his official X account, stating: “I feel deep pain for the lost children, 34 young people killed defending Colombia.”
Text Reads: I feel deep sorrow for the lost sons, 34 young men killed defending Colombia. In 2020, they bought a piece of junk, and it crashed. Let’s see why.
Governments that puff out their chests with nothing but feathers and sequins. They fire bullets with words but buy nothing but corrupt junk for the war. Why didn’t they buy a new plane, just like they buy their cars and apartments?
They buy misery because they know it’s the poor young men who will use the junk trying to defend the homeland.
I want the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Finance to convene the Confis and Conpes for the purchase of weapons that I’ve been requesting for a year.
He also questioned the procurement of military equipment linked to the crash: “They fire bullets with their words, but they buy pure corrupt scrap for war. Why didn’t they buy a new plane, just as they buy their cars and apartments?”
Petro called for an investigation into the acquisition of the aircraft and demanded accountability from those responsible. He urged the ministers of Defense and Finance to convene the Confis and Conpes bodies to address pending military procurement decisions he has requested over the past year.
The president framed the tragedy within broader structural concerns, stating: “War is a business and that is why they want to prolong it; drug trafficking gives them the excuse, but those who die are the young sons of the people.”
Text Reads: Hercules aircraft delivered to Colombia in September 2020 (Duque administration), delivered by the U.S.
43 years in service, since 1983!
He also called for stricter oversight of defense spending: “No general should take a single peso in commission for the purchase of weapons to defend the people.”
The crash has intensified scrutiny over Colombia’s military logistics and procurement practices, as search operations continue for the missing personnel.
Author: MK
Source: RT / @petrogustavo
