Colombia Memorial Service Honors 69 Victims of Military Plane Crash

Colombian officials held a memorial ceremony in Bogota to honor 69 security force members who died in a military plane crash earlier this week. The C-130 Hercules aircraft went down shortly after takeoff from the Amazon region, with 57 people surviving the crash.

BOGOTA, Colombia — A memorial service took place Friday in Colombia’s capital to pay tribute to 69 security personnel who perished in a devastating military aircraft accident earlier this week.

The ceremony at a Bogota church featured photographs of each victim displayed near the altar, creating a solemn tribute to those who lost their lives. Survivors of the crash participated in the prayer service, with some using wheelchairs and receiving medical assistance, while others bore visible injuries including bandaged limbs and struggled with mobility.

The tragedy unfolded Monday when a Colombian Aerospace Force C-130 Hercules transport plane went down moments after departure from Puerto Leguizamo, located in Colombia’s Amazon territory. The aircraft was carrying 126 security force personnel when it crashed, leaving 57 survivors.

“We are deeply pained by what has happened, because when a soldier or a police officer falls, a part of our military family is broken,” said Gen. Hugo Alejandro López, commander of the Military Forces, during the religious ceremony.

During the service, a clergy member recited each victim’s name individually, declaring they had “offered their lives in service to the homeland.”

Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed sympathy to grieving families and promised institutional support during their time of loss.

“For some, it would be the last flight they would ever take in this world — one that would carry them toward the eternal flight. For others — those who survived — it was, in a sense, being born again,” said Sánchez.

The nation observed a three-day period of national mourning following what ranks among the country’s most devastating aviation disasters in recent years. Officials continue examining the crash causes, having eliminated the possibility of an attack by illegal armed groups while focusing their investigation on aircraft conditions, runway factors, and crew circumstances.

The incident has sparked renewed discussion about Colombia’s aging military aircraft inventory. President Gustavo Petro, the nation’s first leftist leader, questioned the operational approval of what he called such an old aircraft, pointing out its 1983 manufacturing date and 2020 donation from the United States.

Petro has also stressed the importance of updating the country’s Hercules fleet, which consists of military transport planes designed to operate from basic, unpaved airstrips.