Colombia has unveiled its first fully domestically designed and manufactured assault rifle, set to replace the Israeli IWI Galil after the South American nation halted arms imports from Israel last year.
Colombian officials made the announcement on Tuesday, saying the move aims to replace weapons once supplied by Israel, following their 2024 diplomatic rift over the genocidal war in Gaza.
Colombia is now manufacturing arms domestically through state-owned weapons manufacturer Indumil, producing the country’s first locally made combat rifles to replace the Galil- a weapon that had been assembled in Colombia using Israeli components since the 1990s.
According to Indumil manager and retired Colonel Javier Carmago, the initiative aims to produce 400,000 lighter and cheaper rifles over five years and “gradually replace current weapons in the armed forces”.
The new weapons, made of steel and polymer, are estimated to be 15 to 25 percent lighter.
However, experts in the region have expressed doubt that Colombia can reach full production capacity without significant costs, especially after the country announced in April plans to replace its fleet of Israeli fighter jets with Swedish aircraft.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro severed ties with Israel last year in protest against its brutal war on Gaza, accusing Israel of genocide.
On Wednesday, he expelled all remaining Israeli diplomats in the country after Israeli forces attacked the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was carrying aid to Gaza.
His anti-Israel stance has aroused the ire of Israel’s close ally, the United States, which revoked Petro’s visa last week after he took part in a pro-Palestine rally in New York City last Friday.
The Colombian president addressed a crowd of anti-war protesters outside the UN headquarters in Manhattan, calling for a global armed force prioritising the liberation of Palestinians from Israeli occupation, and urging US soldiers to disregard President Donald Trump's orders.
"Do not point your guns at people. Disobey the orders of Trump. Obey the orders of humanity," Petro said in his speech.
He later doubled down on his stance in a post on X, writing, "I don't care. I don't need a visa ... because I'm not only a Colombian citizen but a European citizen, and I truly consider myself a free person in the world."
"Revoking it for denouncing genocide shows the US no longer respects international law," he continued.
Colombia’s Foreign Minister, Rosa Villavicencio, has since renounced her US visa in protest at the decision, as a show of solidarity with Petro.
Petro also halted arms purchases from the United States in September 2025 after Trump removed Colombia from his list of anti-drug allies.
Colombian leaders have relied on military operations against guerrillas and drug traffickers involved in cocaine and illegal gold production for the past three decades.