* In the military fort of Tolemaida, the head of State activated this Friday the Command against drug trafficking and Transnational Threats (CONAT), an elite force made up of 7,000 men and women of the National Army.
* The president stated that this command “was born with the purpose of striking and submit the structures of drug trafficking and transnational threats, which may be linked to the illegal exploitation of minerals; to the trafficking in animals, in people, and, of course, to any transnational form of terrorism.”
* The president emphasized that the CONAT “will without contemplation dismantle the structures of the drug trafficking of the Eln, the Narcotalia, the dissidences of the FARC, the Oliver Sinisterra, the Dagoberto Ramos, the Pelusos, the Caparros, the Clan del Golfo, and any form of criminality”.
* President Duque reported that the command of the CONAT is assumed by General Juan Carlos Correa Consuegra, “who has the experience, the ability and the knowledge to achieve the objectives outlined”.
President Iván Duque Márquez activated this Friday the command against drug trafficking and Transnational Threats (CONAT), an act in which he affirmed that this elite force has as its purpose to of striking and submit the structures of drug trafficking and terrorism organizations.
In the Military Fort of Tolemaida, where the presentation of this new command took place, the Head of State highlighted that this force, consisting of 7,000 men and women of the National Army, “was born with the purpose of striking and submit the structures of drug trafficking and transnational threats, which may be linked to the illegal exploitation of minerals; to the trafficking in animals, in people, and, of course, to any transnational form of terrorism.”
In this context, the president emphasized that the CONAT “will without contemplation dismantle the structures of the drug trafficking of the Eln, the Narcotalia, the dissidences of the FARC, the Oliver Sinisterra, the Dagoberto Ramos, the Pelusos, the Caparros, the Clan del Golfo, and any form of criminality”
He added that this command against drug trafficking is made up of specialized personnel, men and women full of conviction who have been trained in the service.
“You start this Unit to achieve historic results, to sow trust, admiration, and Ardency of the citizens next to their soldiers. You will have a great responsibility, because CONAT will be recognized in Colombia and abroad as an effective, dynamic, precise and honorable force,” President highlighted.
“A morally necessary struggle”
Addressing the members of the new operational command, the president said that “the fight against drug trafficking is morally necessary, morally correct, it is to be on the right side of history”.
In that order of ideas, he reiterated that it is time to reflect as a country, because “drug trafficking has been and is a threat that attacks against the spirit of our Constitution, drug trafficking attacks against life, honor, goods, rights and freedoms of citizens.”
In addition, he highlighted that “drug trafficking seeks to capture income, capture governability in the territories, frighten the good citizens, recruit the defenseless young and child and seeks, above all, to corrupt social values.”
The Head of State made a brief account of the results obtained by the Military Forces in the fight against drug trafficking during his Government, including the finding of more than 500 tons of drugs, the manual eradication of close to 130 thousand hectares, the historical destruction of more than 830 laboratories and the exponential reduction of illicit plantations.
The first commander of the CONAT
During the event, President Duque reported that the command of the CONAT is assumed by General Juan Carlos Correa Consuegra, “who has the experience, the ability and the knowledge to achieve the objectives outlined”
The first commander of the CONAT is an expert Lancero and military paratrooper and instructor of Special Forces, Urban Commando. In addition, he followed the course of Ranger, Explorer and military diver in the United States.
He is a professional in Military Sciences and Business Administration of the Universidad Militar Nueva Granada; specialist in general staff and National Defense Security of the Escuela Superior de Guerra and master in security and National Defense of the Escuela Superior de Guerra and in Military Art and Science, of the United States Army Command and General Staff College.
General Correa in the same way holds a master's degree in Operational Art and Theater Operations of the United States Army School of Advance Studies, a master's degree in Strategy Studies of the United States Army War College, and a master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Webster University in the United States
Source: Government Information System
