Thousands of weapons seized from illegal immigrants are melted down to become construction material in Colombia

More than 23,000 rifles, pistols, revolvers, mortars, grenade launchers and modified traumatic weapons that were seized from illegal groups were melted down on Thursday in Colombia to be transformed into metal elements that will be used as construction material.

“These weapons, which once represented pain and destruction, are today transformed into steel and rod, essential materials for the construction of bridges, homes, schools and water treatment plants,” said General Hugo López at the casting day. Barreto, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the military forces.

Colombia still deals with groups outside the law despite the fact that in 2016 the State signed a peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which was the oldest guerrilla in Latin America. Other armed groups occupied the territories previously dominated by the guerrillas, including some dissidents, and are now fighting for control of the illegal economies.

The illegal weapons were transported by train and guarded by the military for more than 200 kilometers from Bogotá to the municipality of Nobsa, where the Acerías PazDelRío steel plant is located, a private company that for the second consecutive year is carrying out the foundry of weapons.

Before being melted in an electric furnace, the weapons were numbered and some spread out on a table, then blessed by a Catholic priest as part of a symbolic act.

Since 1992, more than 670,000 firearms have been destroyed in Colombia, according to the military forces. This is a procedure that according to the law must be followed with weapons seized or voluntarily surrendered, as long as they cannot be converted, to prevent them from falling into the hands of illegals again.

In 2024, more than 50,000 weapons seized from illegal sources will have been melted down, a figure similar to that reached last year. With the melted material, farmers in the region received in July 200 kits of agricultural tools such as shovels and pikes that were made with the material resulting from the confiscated weapons.

In Colombia, weapons are for the exclusive use of the public force and can only be used exceptionally by the civilian population through permits.

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