Cali, Colombia – Colombian President Gustavo Petro deliveredโ a โstrong message of national security following the โsigning of a โ$16.5 billion peso contract with Swedish defense company Saab for the acquisition of 17 Gripen fighter aircraft. Speaking at the commemoration of the 106th โanniversary of โthe Colombian Aerospace Force in Cali, Petro asserted, “At this pace no โoneโฃ will dare to threaten us either outside or inside Colombia.”
The purchase, intended to โฃmodernize Colombia’s air defense capabilities, comes amid a shifting geopolitical landscape in the Caribbeanโ and South America. Petro โframed the acquisition not solely as a military investment, but as a step towards “institutional happiness,”โ emphasizing theโ advanced technology incorporated into the new aircraft. He โขfurther stated the deal represents “an association between two nations that believeโค in peace,progress and โthe defense of life – the Republic of Colombia and the Kingdom โขof Sweden.”
According to Petro, the Gripen aircraft represent “air superiority aircraft with the highest technology” andโฃ will have a positive “impact โคof social and environmental responsibilityโ on energy, water and health issues.” Theโ deal aims to bolster the country’sโค security and defense, signaling a firm stance against both external and internal threats.