SPANISH

Contribution to the Colombian peace process: collaborating with the Army’s transformation process through the provision of regional experiences and expertise

With financial support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Canada through its Global Peace and Security Fund, RESDAL undertook a project for the Colombian National Army’s Transformation Command (COTEF), through its Center of Strategic Analysis for the Army of the Future (CAEEF). This involved developing an investigation to analyze the evolution in the roles and missions of the region’s armies in the face of different security contexts. The aim was to produce inputs that aid in transmitting the experiences of other Latin American countries to the transformation process undertaken by the Colombian Army, especially in relation to three themes:

 

- Public security

- Risk management in cases of natural and manmade disasters

- Gender perspective

 

Nine case studies were chosen for this: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico and Nicaragua. Researchers from each of these countries worked with a structured questionnaire to compile  information and documents , with these then provided to the Center of Strategic Analysis for the Army of the Future for their analysis

Researchers working on each national case were

Felipe Estre (Brazil), Valentín Segura (Chile), Nathalie Pabón Ayala (Colombia), Dolores Bermeo Lara y Diego Pérez Enrique (Ecuador),Edgardo Amaya (El Salvador), Claudinne Ogaldes (Guatemala), Raúl Benitez Manaut (Mexico) y Roberto Cajina (Nicaragua).

Respuestas regionales a los retos cambiantes de seguridad:

Transformación del Ejército y los aportes latinoamericanos

Regional analysis

Visits and Events

 

Several visits were made to different institutions and authorities in Bogota over the course of the project in 2017. The visit to Major General Ricardo Gómez Nieto, then Second Commander of the National Army, stands out among these

 

 

Dissemination and dialogue

 

A public event "Regional responses to changing security challenges: transformation of the Army and Latin American contributions", was held at the Universidad del Rosario on the morning of September 12th, 2017. The objectives of the workshop were to disseminate the results obtained through the research; strengthen discussions of the transformation process being carried out by the Colombian Army, assisting in incorporating the issue into the academic agenda; and strengthen regional exchange and commitment to the national process through the presence of academics and officials from eight countries.

 

 

An internal inter-institutional workshop was held between the Army’s Transformation Command and representatives of the eight countries on the afternoon of September 12th and morning of September 13th. It strengthened the integration of Latin American experiences with the Army’s transformation process, promoting exchanges between Colombian officials and those of other countries regarding the present and future challenges surrounding the Army’s missions and incentivising potential collaboration.

Meeting with members of Congress

 

A working breakfast was held with members of Congress in order to share the project and the regional experience with them, as well as promoting greater knowledge among members of Congress with respect to the Army’s Transformation Command and the Center. The President of the Chamber was present, together with representatives of the Defence Committees of both houses of Congress.

 

Forum at the Universidad Militar

 

on the roles of the armed forces: the objective of this forum was to approach the current debates and tendencies with regard to the three central themes of the project with students and professors.

 

 

2020 / RESDAL / Security and Defence Network of Latin America /

Contact us:

secretaria@resdal.org