The Head of State highlighted the role played by the Presidential Guard Battalion in protecting the head of state and his family. He gave instructions so that the origin and history of the Presidential Guard be written in the history of the Republic.
“The Presidential Guard Battalion has a central mission, protecting ideas, protecting the Constitution, protecting democracy with [all] what the original word democracy means, the power of the people,” were the words of President Gustavo Petro during the ceremony celebrating the 95th anniversary of Infantry Battalion No. 37 Presidential Guard, which took place at the military unit's facilities, next to the Casa de Nariño.
“It is the power of the people that is protected here and you are of the people, the uniform does not change it, it does not make a difference, you are the uniformed people, uniformed people that always have to be disciplined and ready to protect freedom and protect democracy, protect the power of the people.
The ceremony, presided over by the head of State, was attended by Minister of defense, Iván Velásquez Gómez; Vice Admiral Juan Ricardo Rozo, second commander of the Navy and chief of the Naval Staff; Major General Carlos Rueda Silva, second commander and chief of Staff of the Colombian Aerospace Force; General José Bertulfo Soto Sánchez, commander of the Education and Doctrine Command; General Tito Yesid Castellanos, deputy director general of the National Police, and Lieutenant Colonel Diego Alberto León Grimaldo, commander of Infantry Battalion No. 37 Presidential Guard.
The president highlighted the role that the Battalion plays daily to safeguard the security of the Casa de Nariño, protecting the President of the Republic and his family.
“You have the function of protecting a person, the president; an ordinary human being, with his own personal history and you protect him, but not because he is a person, you protect him basically because of what he represents. And what he represents is not simply a system of power. There are powers that harm humanity, perhaps there are powers that can benefit humanity, because in the figure of the president some sort of social trust has been granted and it is related to voting, during most of this Republican time,” the president said.
The head of State highlighted the work carried out by the Presidential Guard in the liberation campaign alongside Simon Bolivar and gave instructions so that the origin and experience of this military unit are written in the history of the Republic.
“I congratulate you all on this 95th birthday, it's already a century away, but you don't remember the history of the Liberator, so I would ask our head of education and doctrine to write the history of this Battalion,” he said.
During the celebration ceremony, President Petro decorated 37 members of the Battalion for their behavior in the exercise of their duties in the unit.
See also: History of the 37th Presidential Guard Infantry Battalion
Source: Government Information System
