The air tragedy that occurred this Monday in southern Colombia, which so far has left 69 dead and 58 injured, has unleashed one of the most bitter political controversies of recent months, with cross-accusations over responsibility for the tragic event.
The crash of a Hercules-type military aircraft, used for troop transport, has not only generated national shock due to the scale of the human loss, but has also opened a front of confrontation between the government and sectors of the opposition.
Amid the mourning and rescue efforts, the debate over political responsibility has escalated rapidly, as expected in the electoral context the country is experiencing ahead of the presidential elections next May.
While technical investigations are underway to clarify the causes of the crash, opposition leaders have focused on the condition of the military air fleet, pointing to what they consider structural failures in maintenance under the current administration.
The government, for its part, has responded with accusations that shift the origin of the problem to decisions made in the past.
Plane crash sparks bitter debate over modernizing Colombia’s military fleet
From various political sectors opposed to the administration, the main thesis revolves around an alleged lack of adequate maintenance of military aircraft. According to these voices, the accident would not be an isolated event, but part of a chain of recent incidents that would demonstrate a progressive deterioration of the Air Force’s operational capacity.
Some opposition leaders have stated that budget cuts, delays in maintenance contracts, and an alleged lack of planning have weakened safety standards. In that context, they argue that the Hercules crash would be a direct consequence of recent administrative decisions, rather than of random or unpredictable factors.
These criticisms are also supported by reports of other incidents in recent years, which, although less severe, have raised alarms about the state of military aviation. For the opposition, the pattern is clear: an aging fleet that requires constant and rigorous investment, and which, in their view, has not received the necessary attention under the current government.
In this regard, right-wing senator Maria Fernanda Cabal opened up multiple possibilities, including that of a possible terrorist attack, and therefore called for foreign intervention in the investigation.
“Was it a maintenance failure? What is happening inside the Colombian Air Force? Colombians must demand that if there are indications of an intentional act, for example, sabotage, terrorism, explosives, criminal interference, or any deliberate crime, the investigation should be carried out by an international body such as the FBI,” she said in a video published yesterday on her X account.
The Government rejects the accusations
President Gustavo Petro reacted firmly to these statements and categorically rejected that his administration is responsible for the accident. In his remarks, he defended the current management and assured that the technical protocols required for the operation of military aircraft have been maintained.
Petro also questioned what he described as a political use of the tragedy. According to the president, attributing responsibility without official conclusions from the investigation is not only premature but also contributes to misleading public opinion at a highly sensitive moment.
The head of state insisted that the causes of the accident must be determined by the competent authorities, based on technical evidence and not on political interpretations. In that sense, he called for caution while expert analyses continue, and factors such as weather conditions, possible
In a turn that further intensified the controversy, President Petro directed his criticism toward the administration of former president Ivan Duque (2028–2022). According to the president, the crashed aircraft had been acquired in 2020 during that government and was part of a batch of aircraft that, in his view, did not meet adequate standards.
Clash between Petro and former president Duque over the ‘junk’ aircraft
Petro was especially harsh in referring to the purchase, stating that it was “junk” acquired from the United States. According to his statements, the crashed aircraft had more than 40 years of operation, which, in his view, raised serious doubts about its suitability for military transport missions under demanding conditions.
“We must find out who the contractor was and why it occurred to Duque to buy junk. … A country is not defended with junk and corruption,” the president wrote on his X account, in response to a previous statement by right-wing senator and presidential candidate Paloma Valencia.
Hay que averiguar quién fué el contratista y porque se le ocurrió a Duque comprar una chatarra, Oviedo debe saber.
Un país no se defiende con chatarra y corruptos. https://t.co/0aaDHdXHGh
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) March 24, 2026
The statements triggered a cascade of accusations and responses that continues to this day. The person directly singled out by Petro, former president Ivan Duque, rejected the accusations and stated that the aircraft was not purchased, but rather received as a donation from the United States.
He also responded harshly to the head of state: “Stop being so vile and lacking in intelligence, and stop politicizing tragedies,” and called for the investigation to focus on technical factors such as the weight of the aircraft and runway conditions.
The conservative former president lashed out at his successor and current president, whom he described as a “cosmic emperor” and to whom he directed all kinds of epithets.
“Drop your mediocrity and vileness toward the victims. You have only a few weeks left before returning to your mere condition as a compulsive tweeter, which is what you turned the Presidency into, in addition to your multiple acts of indignity,” Duque wrote.
Gustavo, cálmese, respire e infórmese. ¿Ya vamos en regalos? Es decir, ya se dio cuenta de que no se compró. El avión fue donado por los EE. UU., como muchos otros, producto de una cooperación histórica que usted puso en riesgo. Esos aviones siguen operando con el mismo modelo en… https://t.co/pOn8eHbpwT
— Iván Duque 🇨🇴 (@IvanDuque) March 24, 2026
This allegation reopens a fundamental debate about the policy for acquiring military equipment in Colombia. The age of the aircraft, procurement processes, and the assessment of their service life are aspects that have historically raised questions, especially in a context where resources are limited and operational needs are high.
A debate that goes beyond the accident
Beyond the exchange of accusations — and the bitter and unpleasant spectacle on both sides — the tragedy has brought a structural problem to the forefront: The aging of Colombia’s military fleet and its maintenance.
Defense experts have pointed out that many of the aircraft in operation have decades of use, which requires strict maintenance programs and, in some cases, the complete renewal of equipment.
The incident has also exposed the fragility of the political consensus around security and defense issues, something that has been dragging on for the past four years.
Instead of a technical debate on how to modernize the fleet and ensure the safety of operations, the discussion has quickly devolved into a partisan confrontation, at times grotesque, making it difficult to build long-term solutions.
Meanwhile, the families of the victims and the injured await clear answers about what happened. The official investigation will be key to determining whether the accident was the result of mechanical failures, human error, external conditions, or a combination of factors. Only then will it be possible to establish responsibility on solid grounds.
In a country marked by decades of conflict, where the Armed Forces play a central role, the safety of their personnel and the reliability of their equipment are matters of national interest. The current controversy reflects not only the political tensions of the moment but also the urgency of seriously and consistently addressing the challenges facing military aviation in Colombia.