revistaieee7

JOURNAL OF THE SPANISH INSTITUTE FOR
STRATEGIC STUDIES
Sonia Alda Mejias
Lecturer at the Instituto Universitario General Gutiérrez Mellado and a specialist
in Security and Defence
E-mail: alda@igm.uned.es
POSSIBILITIES FOR THE TRANSFOR-
MATION OF THE SECURITY FORCES
IN COLOMBIA FOLLOWING THE
POST-CONFLICT PERIOD
Abstract
This article aims to reflect on how to configure the security forces in
Colombia once guerrilla warfare ceases to be the main threat to the
country.
By analysing the current scenario of insecurity at regional and Colombian
level, it intends to demonstrate which forces might be the most
suitable for tackling existing threats. Two options were considered:
those that cover many different missions, under the heading of multifunction
forces and those which, despite their versatility, are specialised
forces to address specific threats.
Colombia can become a point of reference, gearing the configuration
of its forces towards specialisation, as the armed forces model most suitable
for addressing the complex insecurity scenario. In order to enable
this specialisation, a police force with a military status is proposed, to
act alongside the armed forces and the police, as a means to release these
forces from missions. This would make it possible to relieve existing
forces of the completion of missions for which they are unprepared,
while at the same time enabling this third force to specialise, particularly
in the prosecution of organised crime.
KeyWords
Armed forces, police, police with military status, multi-mission forces,
specialised forces
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