Colombia - Armed forces

Colombia's total armed forces in 2002 amounted to 158,000 active personnel with 60,700 reserves. The army of 136,000 is organized in five divisions of 17 infantry brigades. Air force personnel numbered 7,000. The navy had 15,000 personnel, including 10,000 marines. There is also a 104,600-member national police force.

Colombia's defense forces are frequently occupied in opposing rural violence, often stemming from militant guerrilla groups and drug lords' armies. Opposition forces include the Coordinadora Nacional Guerrillera Simon Bolivar (CNGSB) which is in collaboration with several guerrilla groups numbering around 18,000. The right wing paramilitary group Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC) has approximately 10,600 members. Defense expenditures in 2001 amounted to $3.3 billion, or 3.4% of GDP.