For more than two decades, the Inter-American Defense Board has been a strategic ally of humanitarian demining in Colombia, supporting institutional efforts that today make it possible to return safe territories to thousands of communities affected by anti-personnel mines.
As part of an international seminar on humanitarian demining, the Colombian Army's Humanitarian Demining Engineer Brigade gave a presentation highlighting the progress made in this life-saving work that contributes to peacebuilding.
Colonel Leonardo Favio Cárdenas, commander of the Brigade, highlighted the commitment and courage of the deminers who, through years of work in the field, have managed to deliver more than 300 territories, areas, and municipalities free of suspected anti-personnel mines. These results have allowed communities to reclaim their land, revive their local economies, and rebuild their social fabric.
"This work has been possible thanks to the support of the OAS and the Inter-American Monitoring Group, which have backed and supervised our work in the field. Their accreditation and monitoring have been fundamental in strengthening our capabilities and building confidence in quality management processes at the national level. Thanks to this joint effort, today we can move forward with greater confidence in delivering mine-free territories to our civilian population," Colonel Cárdenas said.
The officer also highlighted the productive projects that accompany humanitarian demining, which promote a sustainable economy in the regions where they are carried out, generating opportunities for families returning to their territories.
During the meeting, representatives of international organizations highlighted the importance of multilateral cooperation in this process. Pier Angelli De Luca, head of the Conventional Arms, Ammunition, and Explosives Section of the Organization of American States (OAS), said: "It is a great honor for us to participate in this humanitarian demining seminar as we celebrate 20 years of the Inter-American Monitors Group, which collaborates directly with our AICMA-OAS program in the quality management of humanitarian demining in Colombia. We deeply value the work of the Humanitarian Demining Engineers Brigade as a highly effective operator in liberating land and returning it to affected communities."
De Luca also highlighted the efficiency and quality of the operations carried out in the country, as well as the importance of strengthening opportunities for international exchange and cooperation to improve operational capabilities for the benefit of peace in Colombia.
For his part, Major General Reynaldo Salgado Beato, Director General of the Secretariat of the Inter-American Defense Board, noted the historical significance of these initiatives.
"Humanitarian demining is possibly one of the most important activities carried out by the Inter-American Defense Board. We have been supporting these efforts since 1993, and today we have two key groups in Colombia: the Inter-American Monitors Group and the Inter-American Technical Advisors Group, whose work will continue to be supported by our organization."
The seminar strengthened the exchange of experiences among experts, authorities, and international organizations, reaffirming that regional cooperation is key to advancing toward mine-free territories.
