The United States government donated 12 Black Hawk helicopters to the Colombian police with the aim of supporting the protection of the Amazon and the forests that are devastated by fires and illegal logging.
“We are pleased to help this government capture and prosecute the great predators of the environment,” said Brian Harris, director of the Section for Counternarcotics Affairs and Law Enforcement of the United States embassy in Bogotá in a statement released this Friday by Colombian police.
The first three helicopters arrived in Colombia on Thursday. They are painted in desert camouflage because they were first stationed in Afghanistan. Now they will be adapted to operate in Colombia.
In Colombia, deforestation continues to be high. In 2021, some 174,100 affected hectares were registered, according to a government report, the equivalent of an increase of 1.5% compared to the previous year.
Deforestation is recorded especially in the south of the country, where the Amazon is, which contains 66% of the forests.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said this Friday in a Twitter message that the helicopters donated by the United States will be used by an elite body that will take care of the environment and fight crimes such as deforestation.
Petro, the first leftist president in Colombia, has expressed his interest in making changes to the bilateral agenda with the United States, which in recent years has been focused on the fight against drugs.
The president proposed to the government of Joe Biden to focus efforts on mitigating climate change, an objective that both share.
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