On October 19, 2023, on the occasion of the official visit to Colombia of Admiral José Augusto Vieira da Cunha de Menezes, Chief of Staff of the Brazilian Navy, the Group of Inter-American Humanitarian Demining Monitors in Colombia (GMI-CO), mission of the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB) in support of the Comprehensive Action Program against Antipersonnel Mines of the Organization of American States (OAS), presented the situation of humanitarian demining in Colombia.
On the occasion, the Head of the GMI-CO, Captain (Brazilian Marine) Leonel Mariano da Silva Júnior, presented topics such as the IADB's support for humanitarian demining in the Americas, its actions in Colombia and the consequences generated. for said international cooperation. According to Admiral Cunha, "The presentation allowed us to see the relevant challenges that demining still faces in Colombia and the great benefits of inter-American cooperation in this matter in the last 30 years."
The activity occurred at the facilities of the Brazilian Naval Attaché Office in Colombia. For the Naval Attaché, Captain (Marine) Luiggi Campany de Oliveira, "among the various cooperation activities that the Brazilian Navy carries out in Colombia, it is worth mentioning the important role of the IADB demining monitors and instructors in this country".
Since 2006, the GMI-CO has supported the efforts of the OAS and the Colombian authorities to reduce the effects of explosive devices and antipersonnel mines, which have greatly penalized the country's population. In addition to the GMI-CO, the IADB supports humanitarian demining in Colombia through the Group of Inter-American Technical Advisors, which provides advice and training to members of the Colombian Military Forces. Currently, these Groups are made up of officers from the Brazilian Navy, the Brazilian Army and the Mexican Army.
