Colombian Air Force plane crashes with over 100 soldiers on board

A Colombian Air Force plane crashed at 9:50 a.m. on Monday in a rural area near Puerto Leguízamo, in Putumayo, in the southwestern part of the country. According to General Carlos Fernando Silva Rueda, commander of the Colombian Air Force, the aircraft, a C-130 Hercules, was carrying 110 soldiers and 11 crew members. Shortly before 2 p.m., President Gustavo Petro provided the latest update on X: “So far, there have been 77 injured admitted to the hospital, one fatality, and 43 people whose condition is yet to be determined.”

Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the accident occurred shortly after takeoff and that military units were already at the scene. However, he added that neither the number of victims nor the causes of the crash have been determined yet. Both the Defense Ministry and the Presidency have called for restraint regarding speculation out of respect for the families of the service members.

The incident is currently being investigated as an aviation accident, according to official sources consulted by this newspaper, but in a country where state security forces are a frequent target of attacks, other hypotheses have not been ruled out. “Although there is no evidence, every possibility is being investigated,” these sources said.

Footage recorded by residents at the crash site shows a massive fire and locals evacuating surviving soldiers on their motorcycles. In one of the videos, in which the plane can be seen shattered and engulfed in flames, the rattling sound of what appears to be ammunition exploding can be heard.

“All protocols for assisting the victims and their families have been activated, as has the corresponding investigation. I extend my deepest condolences to the families of those affected, and out of respect for their grief, I urge everyone to refrain from speculation until official information is available. This is a deeply painful event for the country. May our prayers accompany them and bring them some measure of comfort,” Sánchez added in his X post.

President Gustavo Petro also commented on the incident. “I hope there are no fatalities in this horrific accident, which should never have happened,” he said on his X account. Petro was anticipating criticism from his opponents, who accuse him of failing to maintain and strengthen Colombia’s military capabilities.

The president added that he has already demanded the modernization of the military air fleet, but that the document required to do so (the CONPES) has not been approved, and he blames his officials for this. “If civilian or military administrative officials are not up to this challenge, they must be removed,” he added. “I will not grant any more time; it is the lives of young people that are at stake.” Petro requested a meeting with the director of National Planning and his defense minister to approve the CONPES.

Videos and photos from the crash site show a fire in the rural area where the plane went down, and several people trying to get close to help the injured and extinguish the fire. “The accident in Putumayo is being investigated on the ground by the relevant authorities,” the Ministry of Defense said in a statement, while videos from local media show rescue workers and military personnel arriving at the crash site.

Puerto Leguízamo is a Colombian town near the tri-border region with Ecuador and Peru, in southern Colombia. According to reports, the plane crashed north of the town, in a village called La Tagua. Various armed groups have been active in the area, but so far there has been no mention of an attack on the plane, only of an accident during takeoff.

The presidential candidates have called for solidarity with the military. “We deeply regret these events and hope for greater clarity regarding the circumstances surrounding such a tragedy,” wrote Senator Paloma Valencia, a supporter of Álvaro Uribe. “I stand with the families of our military personnel in this time of mourning,” said far-right candidate and criminal law expert Abelardo de La Espriella. The left-wing candidate, Iván Cepeda, who leads in the polls, also posted a message on social media along the same lines. “My condolences to the Colombian Air Force, to the families and loved ones of the victims of this tragic event, which has plunged not only the security forces but the entire nation into mourning,” he said on X.

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