The new life of the peasants in the Montes de María

With the precision of surgeons, They worked in areas of the department of Bolívar such as Cartagena de Indiasthe capital, and nine other towns to achieve it.

In Sucre, which also has areas in the Montes de María, the experts left nine towns free, including Sincelejoits capital.

“Today we are going to deliver the municipality of El Carmen de Bolívar free of suspicion of antipersonnel mines“Vice Admiral Juan Ricardo Rozo, Second Commander of the Colombian Navy, told EFE.

“However,” he added, “what has really happened here is that for the last ten years, men from the demining team have been working to advance in the 15 municipalities that make up the Montes of María to today certify that they are free of the presence of antipersonnel mines.

The subregion is the agricultural and livestock lung of the Colombian Caribbean and, the officer stated, they are “guaranteeing to the entire population that they can go out to do their work freely, to the young people to play, to go to their schools, to all people, that they can move calmly knowing that they are not going to be left affected by an antipersonnel mine”.

Humanitarian demining is part of the fulfillment of the commitments acquired by Colombia with the signing of the Ottawa Treaty on the prohibition of the use, storage, production and transfer of antipersonnel mines.

In carrying out their work, the Navy’s bomb technicians neutralized 251 threats caused by the discovery of antipersonnel mines, unexploded munitions and improvised explosive devices.

With this, they benefited more than 2.5 million inhabitants of the region.

Hand in hand with the locals

To develop its activities and link the population, theThe Colombian Navy trained more than 5,695 inhabitants of the areawho were provided with tools to identify this type of explosive devices and the way in which they should proceed in case they find this type of devices in the fields, roads or highways.

In addition, he had the help and participation of the Comprehensive Action against Antipersonnel Mines of the Organization of American States (Aicma-OAS), which certified compliance with national humanitarian demining standards.

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According to figures from the Peace Commissioner of the Presidency, last year there were reports 99 victims of antipersonnel mines (MAP), unexploded ordnance (MSE) or improvised explosive devices (IED).

Most of the victims of these devices were 60 civilians, while the other 39 were members of the public force.

In 2023, the departments with the highest reports of victims by MAP, MSE, o AEI They were Nariño, Chocó, Cauca, and Bolívar, which accounted for 80% of the cases.

According to Government figures, released last month regarding the International Anti-Personnel Mine Awareness Daywhich is celebrated every April 4, 81% of the country is free of this type of explosives.