From September 25 to October 12, 2023, members of the Group of Inter-American Humanitarian Demining Monitors in Colombia (GMI-CO), which represents the Inter-American Defense Board in supporting quality management in the South American country, performed in support of the Organization of American States (OAS), for the accreditation of soldiers from the National Army and Navy of Colombia, newly trained to operate against antipersonnel mines and improvised explosive devices.
The evaluation occurred at the International Demining Center (CIDES), located in the Tolemaida Military Fort, in Nilo, Cundinamarca, for a total of 72 people. GMI-CO officers supported the evaluation of 23 Demining Leaders and 34 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Operators (EOD) of the Humanitarian Demining Engineer Brigade of the Colombian Army. In addition to the Army soldiers, 10 EOD operators from the Demining and Amphibious Engineers Battalion of the Colombian Navy were evaluated. Along with the military, 05 civilian monitors from the OAS Comprehensive Mine Action Program in Colombia were also evaluated.
For Lieutenant Captain (Brazilian Marine) Lucas Marques Ferreira Oliveira, who was in his first field work after taking office at the GMI-CO, “the role of Inter-American Monitor is one of the most important that I have played. , given the possibility of contributing to the development of Colombia, in its quest to be a country free from the threat of landmines.”
Since 2006, the GMI-CO has supported the efforts of the OAS and the Colombian authorities to reduce the effects of antipersonnel mines and improvised devices, which have penalized the population of this country for six decades. Currently, the Group is made up of officers from the Brazilian Navy, Brazilian Army and Mexican Army.
