On July 28, 2025, Lieutenant General Derby Guerrier, Commander-in-Chief of the Haitian Armed Forces (FAd'H), will lead a delegation to Colombia to discuss cooperation, visit military training sites, and define the implementation timeline, among other things.

This year, Pedro Sánchez, the Colombian Minister of Defense, confirmed that he plans to train at least 200 Haitian soldiers who, after three months of highly specialized training, will be ready for immediate deployment to Haiti. Training will then continue until a total of 1,000 soldiers is reached. The timeline will depend on the Haitian delegation's visit.

The cost of training these 1,000 Haitian soldiers is estimated at approximately $2.5 million. Funding will be sought from friendly governments and international aid, and if not, Colombia will likely provide support.

It should be recalled that the first agreement between the two Ministries of Defense was signed in January 2025 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-44119-haiti-politic-brief-visit-of-colombian-president-gustavo-petro.html

Based on our experience in Haiti, Minister Sánchez feels the urgency to act more quickly, not only in terms of training, but also in arms sales. He noted that there is already a company, Industria Militar (the Colombian arsenal), which already sells weapons to the Haitian government.

Furthermore, this collaboration with Colombia also includes police training. On August 15, 2025, 25 police officers will arrive in Colombia for training in investigation, intelligence, and community policing. The training will last five weeks, followed by 25 additional police officers arriving during the next cycle, for a total of 50 officers. The costs will be covered by the Colombian Presidential Agency for International Cooperation.

All training for the Haitian police and armed forces will take place in Colombia, as Haiti lacks the necessary infrastructure, technology, and instructors to deliver it.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-44129-haiti-jacmel-joint-declaration-of-the-axes-of-cooperation-between-haiti-and-colombia.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-44119-haiti-politic-brief-visit-of-colombian-president-gustavo-petro.html

SL/ HaitiLibre