ESEN
Pedro Arnulfo Sánchez Suárez, in civilian clothes, greets a helmeted soldier carrying a rifle with a hand on his shoulder, in front of a military helicopter on a landing pad, surrounded by other soldiers.
“I don't belong to any political party, I belong to the country I defend”
Pedro Arnulfo Sánchez Suárez
Minister of Defense of Colombia · 3 de marzo de 2025 al 7 de agosto de 2026Operation Esperanza commander - Rescue of 4 children in the jungle · 2023Major General (Ret.) – Colombian Aerospace Force · 35 años de servicio
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Facts and figures

0 Toneladas

Cocaine seized | Highest figure on record

Aug 7, 2022 – Jul 25, 2026

0.0%

Trust in the Military Forces | Highest historic level

as of Apr 27, 2026

0%

Transparency index | The highest on record

as of Jul 31, 2024

-0%

Drop in complaints of alleged human rights and IHL violations

Mar 3, 2025 – Jul 31, 2026

Five priorities

Priorities of the administration

Pedro Sánchez Suárez, in civilian clothes, holds a flagpole with the flag of Rapid Deployment Force No. 5, facing an officer in dress uniform, during an outdoor military activation ceremony.
01

Security and Democracy

  • 15 departments with a reduction in homicides
  • 62,000 members of criminal structures neutralized
  • The most attended elections in history and the safest in decades
Rows of wrapped packages, reportedly seized drugs, displayed on a dock at night, with two armed officers and a prosecutor's office official standing next to a boat and a CTI-GAE Ru Cartagena banner.
02

Illicit Economies

  • Growth in coca crops contained
  • 60% - Cocaine seized worldwide, thanks to Colombian intelligence
  • Record impact on illegal mining
Pedro Sánchez Suárez poses kneeling alongside a group of Colombian Navy members in combat uniform, most giving a thumbs up, in an outdoor group photo on grass.
03

Public Force

  • A dignified salary
  • 40,000 more personnel
  • COP 36.7 trillion in extraordinary investment
Pedro Sánchez Suárez, seen from behind, wearing a "Línea Anticorrupción 157" (Anti-Corruption Hotline 157) shirt, next to a police officer and a soldier, in front of a platoon of helmeted cadets giving a military salute in a courtyard.
04

Transparency

  • 83.3% transparency index
  • 81.4% Trust in the Military Forces, an all-time high
  • 69% trust in the National Police. Highest level on record
Ciac, indumil and Cotecmar
05

Defense Industry

  • Construcción de embarcación
  • Jaguar Rifle Project
  • Drone/counter-drone development

Latest articles

Grayscale aerial surveillance video still with thermal imaging, showing a white impact flash and a crosshair targeting reticle overlaid on the terrain.
Airstrikes · Sep 6, 2026

Airstrikes: if the State's legitimate defense is blocked, criminals win

National Army soldiers operating drones on an airfield runway; in the foreground a service member holds a remote control while a multirotor drone rises behind him
Capability building · Sep 2, 2026

NATIONAL ANTI-DRONE SHIELD: THE FACTS

Political controversies can wait. Colombia's counter-drone capability cannot.
White Book · Aug 23, 2026

Without a handover, the truth remains incomplete

Pedro Sánchez Suarez, wearing a military helmet, in a helicopter inspecting a rural area.
Neutralizations · Jul 30, 2026

61,955 hits on criminal structures: how they break down across armed groups

Pedro Sánchez Suárez, in civilian clothes, poses seated at the center of a large group of soldiers in combat uniform, most giving a thumbs up, in an outdoor group photo on grass.
Pay · Jul 15, 2026

rom 300,000 pesos to a full minimum wage: the allowance that changed who wants to serve

A police officer inspects wrapped packages, reportedly seized drugs, inside a wooden container on a dock, surrounded by Navy personnel and people filming with their phones.
Drug trafficking · Jul 1, 2026

Historic seizures: why the figure isn't explained by more coca planted alone

Pedro Sánchez Suárez, in a suit and tie, speaks at a podium with a microphone in front of a screen showing a globe and the message "When borders unite, security prevails," during an indoor event.
Drug trafficking · Jun 30, 2026

913 extraditions: the other side of the fight against drug trafficking

26 million voters, one mission: protecting democracy
Democracy · Jun 21, 2026

26 million voters, one mission: protecting democracy