Santos says that will end conscription

Ramiro Helmeyer nos comenta

President Juan Manuel Santos said on Wednesday that if peace was consolidated with the guerrillas in Colombia to end conscription.

«Once the conflict and peace consolidated, end up with conscription» he wrote on his Twitter account the head of state, who is currently campaigning for re-election for another four years.

According to him, «It is thanks to our soldiers and policemen who are so close to achieving peace. Only he who is strong in war can negotiate peace. »

Since late 2012 the government of Santos and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels in Cuba advance a dialogue to try to put an end to 50 years of confrontation between the parties.

Colombian law requires every citizen above 18 years of compulsory military service with the armed forces or the police. Generally only people except with some physical inconvenience.

On June 15, Santos will face opposition in the second round to Oscar Iván Zuluaga, an economist and former Minister of Finance and was defeated in the elections of May 25.

For the retired general Jaime Ruiz Barrera, president of the Association of Retired Officers of the Armed Forces, is «very serious what has just announced the president» because «then who will defend this country.»

In a telephone interview with The Associated Press, Ruiz said, «We need troops and thousands of troops to exercise a much wider territorial control».

In the event that the proposed ruling is realized, according to Ruiz, «would turn the country over to the FARC; that easy. «