Defense Minister Rodrigo Rivera denied rumors of divisions in the armed forces that emerged after the exit of General Gustavo Matamoros from the position of Head of Joint Chiefs of Staff, Colombian media reported Thursday.
Rivera said that the retirement of the commander happened with the “discretion and autonomy” of the Ministry of Defense, and added that, “the military leadership is more united than ever … We are working together with full concentration in the task of offering security to Colombians.”
Matamoros was replaced last Thursday by General Luis Paredes. Following the move, rumors abound of internal frictions within the armed forces caused by a mixture of disagreement over the action taken and a supposed rift between Matamoros and the Commander of Colombia’s Armed Forces, Admiral Edgar Cely.