Furious Colombian President Criticises Secondhand Military Aircraft After Dozens Killed In Crash

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has sharply criticised nan usage of secondhand subject aircraft by nan nation's equipped forces, following a carrier level clang that killed astatine slightest 66 soldiers.

The incident, which occurred connected Monday successful southwestern Colombia, has prompted an charismatic investigation into nan disaster.

Writing connected X, President Petro questioned nan efficacy of specified donations, stating: "An service cannot take sides its ain group pinch crappy gifts."

He specifically referenced nan Hercules CJ-130, an craft donated by nan United States, adding: "They springiness distant immoderate is useless to them — and nan 'gift' ends up costing much than buying it new."

The subject carrier level collapsed soon aft take-off successful Colombia’s Putumayo province.

The Defence Ministry confirmed that while 66 soldiers perished, 57 others were rescued live from nan distant clang tract successful Puerto Leguizamo.

Survivors are presently receiving curen for their injuries successful nan capital, Bogota, and different locations.

The Hercules CJ-130 was portion of a practice statement pinch nan US successful 2020, which besides included 2 different utilized Hercules planes. Despite its age, nan craft underwent a elaborate overhaul successful 2023, during which its engines were inspected and cardinal components replaced.

Erich Saumeth, a Colombian aviation master and subject analyst, said that investigators must now find why nan four-engine Hercules grounded truthful soon aft takeoff.

“I don’t deliberation this level collapsed because of a deficiency of bully parts,” Saumeth said.

Former Colombian President Iván Duque, who was successful agency erstwhile nan Hercules was donated, urged Petro successful a connection connected X to “calm down and breathe.”

“You should behaviour a rigorous investigation that looks astatine really overmuch weight nan level was carrying compared to nan magnitude of nan runway,” Duque wrote.

The airdrome successful Puerto Leguizamo has a short runway that is conscionable 1.2 kilometers (less than 1 mile) successful length. Officials said that nan level collapsed successful a section little than 2 kilometers distant from nan airport.

Petro has seized connected nan mishap to beforehand what he calls his longtime run to modernize planes and different instrumentality utilized by his country’s military, saying those efforts person been blocked by “bureaucratic difficulties” and suggesting that immoderate officials should beryllium held accountable.

“If civilian aliases subject administrative officials are not up to nan challenge, they must beryllium removed,” Petro said Monday connected X.

Critics of nan president person pointed retired that location has been a deficiency of execution of subject contracts nether Petro’s administration, arsenic good arsenic less formation hours for subject planes owed to cuts successful Colombia’s defense budget.