A recent increase in military pay in Colombia is bolstering recruitment and morale, even as the country grapples with a growing number of armed groups. The move, which provides soldiers with a full minimum wage and a 23% raise, comes as the government of President Gustavo Petro seeks to strengthen the armed forces and address ongoing security challenges.
On February 2, 2026, young men sat on the concrete floor of a Bogotá battalion, awaiting confirmation of their enlistment in the Army. Unlike past decades marked by forced recruitment, these young recruits were volunteering, drawn by the promise of a full minimum wage – a first for the Colombian military.
“The time has come to fulfill my dream of serving the country,” said Jesús David Barranco, 22, who arrived at the José María Rosillo Battalion in Bogotá with his family. Barranco, who recently moved to the capital from Barranquilla, was submitting his paperwork for military service.
Barranco explained that the increased pay was a significant factor in his decision. “It helps and motivates me a bit because I will be able to aid my family. I have three friends who as well decided to apply because of the salary,” he said, adding that he hadn’t been able to enlist sooner due to financial obligations.
The same day, just a few blocks away, the Army launched its 2026 recruitment campaign with a military parade and band in the 20 de Julio neighborhood, a working-class area of the capital. The campaign aims to recruit 15,000 young people between the ages of 18 and 24 in February alone. Officials intentionally chose the location, recognizing that most soldiers come from low-income backgrounds.
The ceremony was marked by optimism, fueled by the promise of a full minimum wage and a 23% increase compared to 2025. This shift in compensation is intended to address a recent decline in enlistment numbers and improve the overall quality of life for soldiers.
The increase in pay is a key component of Law 2384 of 2024, which fulfilled a long-standing request from military command to provide regular soldiers with a full salary, rather than half a minimum wage. The law also increased pay for career soldiers, aligning it with the rising minimum wage. This move allows President Petro to highlight an historic pay increase for enlisted personnel, a powerful argument amid an election year where security is a central issue.
President Petro has publicly expressed his enthusiasm, reacting to videos of soldiers celebrating their first paycheck of the year and stating that morale is high. A video of one soldier shouting “I love you, Petro!” went viral, reflecting the current positive sentiment among the troops. The president views the salary increase as a political and military win as his term nears its end.
The decision to increase pay comes as Colombia faces a resurgence of armed groups. The Army recently blamed the National Liberation Army (ELN) for an attack on the Infantry Battalion No. 15 in Ocaña, Norte de Santander on February 7, 2026, which injured two soldiers and resulted in the death of one guerrilla fighter and the capture of another, according to reports. The ELN also reportedly placed explosives on the Ocaña-Cúcuta highway, which were successfully defused by the military on February 8, 2026, as confirmed by Infobae.
The Shrinking Military Footprint
Jesús and six other young men waiting at the battalion are part of the first contingent of regular soldiers for 2026. They are headed to Calamar, Guaviare, a municipality experiencing ongoing conflict between factions of the “Calarcá” and “Mordisco” dissident groups.
“We are waiting for the truck to arrive to capture them,” said First Sergeant Manuel Cuello, who was tasked with recruiting soldiers for the Infantry Battalion No. 24 in Calamar. Cuello travels to Bogotá every two months to meet the battalion’s quota, which for February is 124 recruits – double the typical quota of 62.
Jesús is undeterred by the prospect of serving in a conflict zone. “The day they were spreading fear wasn’t the day I was born. I want to aspire to be a professional soldier,” he said. The morale and enthusiasm of this young recruit come at a critical juncture for the Army’s manpower.
“Last year, in December, we were asked for a quota of 62 and it was very tricky to complete it. This year it has been much easier. Many units have already met their quota. We have 65 qualified applicants,” Cuello said, noting the impact of the salary increase. The first day of the recruitment campaign already yielded over half of the needed soldiers.
According to sources within the military, recruitment goals have been challenging in recent years. In 2023, the Army’s active personnel reached a low of 168,000 – the lowest in two decades, surpassed only by 2002 when the force numbered 155,000.
The primary cause of this decline was a reduction in the number of regular soldiers – those serving 18-month terms. In 2023, the number of regular soldiers was 54,969, the lowest in the analyzed period from 2002 to 2024. While the number rebounded in 2024, it remained below the two-decade average.
Retired General Alberto Mejía, who served as commander of the Army and the Military Forces from 2015 to 2018, said the decline was partly due to a lack of government incentives for young people. “When I was a second lieutenant, in the 1980s, it was normal that half of my 40 soldiers couldn’t read or write. Today that’s not the case, as Colombia has improved education levels across the country. But an incentive of 90,000 pesos a month was terrible for morale,” Mejía said.
Mejía recalled that in 2017, the Santos administration and military command promoted a bill to gradually increase the pay of regular soldiers to a full minimum wage, inspired by other armies around the world. The bill also included benefits such as priority access to public universities, preferential student loan terms, and discounts on events. However, the Congress approved only a gradual increase to 50% of the minimum wage, and the Constitutional Court struck down the additional benefits.
Data obtained by La Silla Vacía through a right of petition request showed that between 2018 and 2024, the number of regular soldiers fell by 28%. “The battalions, which are the ones fighting the war in Colombia, began to lose men. Each battalion, which has about 1,200 men, began to see its numbers fall to 1,000, 800, and 700, a situation that seriously affected operational capacity in the territories,” Mejía said.
The law pushed by the Petro administration, at the request of military command, sought to remedy this situation by establishing a gradual increase in the salary of regular soldiers: 70% in 2025 and 100% in 2026. The law also incorporated proposals from opposition and independent parties, including the Democratic Center, the Liberal, the Conservative, and the Green Alliance, who supported its passage through Congress.
Defense Minister, retired General Pedro Sánchez, told La Silla Vacía that a primary goal of the law is to improve national security by boosting motivation and improving the conditions of low-income soldiers. “Some of them stay in military service because they have nothing to eat. Now, in addition to that, they can save. And 100% of those I’ve asked about what they do with the money say they send it to their family. That’s the other impact,” said Minister Sánchez.
Soldier Dagoberto Rusinque, who enlisted in January 2025 at age 18, exemplifies this impact. He came from a low-income farming family in Yondó, Antioquia, and is now stationed in Barrancabermeja. He said a large portion of his salary goes to helping his mother with household expenses. He was thrilled to see 1.7 million pesos deposited into his account this year. “Now with the minimum wage, our morale is higher, because it went up almost 800,000 pesos. It motivates me a lot to continue with my military career. You consider about saving so that when you go on leave you have money to take your family out to eat,” said Rusinque, who plans to apply for the next course for professional soldiers mid-year.
The Pyramid Problem
Professional soldier Bladimir Peña said that when he began his service in 2006, he earned only 60,000 pesos a month. After basic necessities were deducted, he was left with only 10,000-15,000 pesos. He couldn’t afford to send money to his wife and daughters. He recalls that the only thing he was able to buy during his 18 months of service was a 21-inch television, which he purchased with a bonus he received after one year.
“We were really struggling, and there were soldiers who were very poor. It was difficult back then, you smelled bad, you were unkempt. Now when you enter a battalion, those soldiers are impeccable,” Peña said. Twenty years after completing his service, Bladimir feels happy for the young soldiers who are now benefiting from the increased pay. He is also pleased that the 23% increase in the minimum wage has significantly increased his earnings. The basic allowance for career soldiers is also indexed to the minimum wage – 1.4 times the minimum wage. In other words that 84,000 soldiers went from earning 1.9 million pesos in 2025 to 2.4 million in 2026. This represents crucial because this basic allowance is used to calculate bonuses for seniority, combat duty, and family support, among other things.
Professional soldiers form the base of the Army’s hierarchical structure and are the ones who face the greatest danger in combatting armed groups. Bladimir was injured by a landmine in 2010, losing 40% of his body function.
The salary increase comes at a critical time, as illegal armed groups are growing and now number 27,000 members. “The salary greatly elevates morale, the desire to serve, the desire to be there,” said Minister Sánchez. He also acknowledged that it presents a complex budgetary challenge due to the government’s fiscal deficit.
Currently, the Army has the highest number of professional soldiers in its history. However, it is also facing a peak in retirements, as many soldiers who entered service during a period of growth in the early 2000s are now reaching their 20-year mark.
Retired General Mejía said that the decline and reduction in the military footprint is partly due to the state’s lack of willingness to create incentives for young people. “When I was a second lieutenant, in the 1980s, it was normal that, of my 40 soldiers, half didn’t know how to read or write. Today that doesn’t happen, as Colombia has improved education levels across the country. But an incentive of 90,000 pesos a month was terrible for the morale of our soldiers,” said General Mejía.
Mejía said that in 2017, the Santos government and the military command promoted a bill to gradually increase the pay of regular soldiers to a full minimum wage and provide additional benefits, inspired by other armies around the world. These included priority access to public universities, better student loan terms, and discounts on events. However, Congress approved only a gradual increase to 50% of the minimum wage, and the Constitutional Court struck down the additional benefits. The law also eliminated several coercive incentives for military service, prohibiting forced recruitment and public sweeps for potential recruits.
Figures obtained by La Silla Vacía through a right of petition request showed that 2023 was the year with the lowest military footprint in two decades, with 168,000 active members, surpassed only by 2002 when the force numbered 155,000.
The Petro administration’s law sought to amend this situation by establishing a gradual increase in the salary of regular soldiers. The law also incorporated proposals from opposition and independent parties, who supported its passage through Congress.
Defense Minister Sánchez said that one of the main objectives of the law is to improve national security by raising motivation and improving the conditions of low-income soldiers. “Some of them stay in military service because they have nothing to eat. Now, in addition to that, they can save. And 100% of those I’ve asked about what they do with the money say they send it to their family. That’s the other impact,” said Minister Sánchez.
This sentiment is echoed by soldier Dagoberto Rusinque, who enlisted in January 2025. He comes from a low-income farming family in Yondó, Antioquia, and sends a large portion of his salary to his mother to help with household expenses.
He was excited to see 1.7 million pesos deposited into his account this year. “Now with the minimum wage, our morale is higher, because it went up almost 800,000 pesos. It motivates me a lot to continue with my military career. You think about saving so that when you go on leave you have money to invite your family to eat,” said Rusinque, who plans to apply for the next course for professional soldiers mid-year.
Petro’s Political Win
Retired professional soldier Raul Musse, who is running for Senate with the Democratic Center party, said that he has never experienced the economic benefits he is seeing now in his 20 years of service. “I don’t know about politics and I’m not very interested in it, but if this was a strategy, it was a good strategy,” Musse said about the decisions of the Petro government.
Musse criticized military figures who claim to support the troops but did nothing to improve their conditions when they were in command. “My General Zapateiro didn’t do anything for us. He would gather us in a parade ground for two or three hours, and just say: ‘Attention!’ Now he comes out defending us,” he said, referring to a former Army commander who is now a prominent figure in the presidential campaign of Abelardo De la Espriella, who has embraced military symbolism.
Spontaneous celebrations by soldiers in videos on TikTok have gone viral with the hashtag #SL18, the acronym for 18-month soldiers. These videos reveal soldiers dancing and celebrating with their phones, displaying their first paycheck of 2026. The video of a soldier shouting “I love you, Petro!” has been used by the president and left-wing figures to demonstrate their alliance with the armed forces.
Petro recorded himself smiling and reacting to the video. “In Colombia, there cannot be people who work and risk their lives for others, exploited like slaves. And in that sense, we are restoring their dignity,” he said. Interior Minister Armando Benedetti also celebrated the soldiers’ salary increase as a victory for the government on social media, thanking President Petro.
In the campaign, candidate Iván Cepeda has embraced the salary increase for soldiers. “The social programs and reforms of the Historic Pact government and President Petro recognize the rights that people have earned with their hard work,” he said in a speech in Cúcuta. This is despite his proposals to transform military service into social service.
The left’s embrace of the salary increase has raised questions about the political use of the decision during the election campaign. This is a sensitive issue given the non-deliberative nature of the military and police, which prevents them from participating in politics. Military sources consulted for this report said they have had to handle the issue carefully, as they do not want a necessary measure to become a political tool.
However, the measure has been so popular that even right-wing candidates have reacted positively. Former Defense Minister and candidate Juan Carlos Pinzón told La Silla in an interview that he liked the measure, while he was concerned about the fiscal impact. Even former President Álvaro Uribe said at an event this year that “we all recognize that the Petro government has improved the remuneration of regular soldiers.”
“To say that we are not happy about the increase is a lie,” said retired professional soldier Bladimir Peña, who is running for Senate with the Democratic Center party. “It’s an increase that has never been done before, and obviously it helps me, regardless of whether it’s done without measuring the consequences. Because the problem is what’s coming,” said Musse.
The early effects on recruitment, as seen with young men like Jesús David Barranco, and the high morale of soldiers like Dagoberto Rusinque, suggest that the military impact is as desired. The president is also benefiting from a political win as his term nears its end.
