Colombia's Prez apologises for Nazi-themed police event, says 'anti-semitism has no place'

Colombia’s President Iván Duque has issued an apology after cadets at a police academy caused outrage by dressing up as Nazis for a “cultural exchange” event in honour of Germany. According to photos shared widely on social media, cadets at the Simón Bolívar police school were seen dressed in a grey-green uniform, wearing Swastika armbands and one also wearing a Hitler moustache. The black, red and yellow German flag and balloons in the same colours were also decorated at the venue that featured a replica Luftwaffe plane, copies of Nazi firearms, and swastikas on the table cloths as well. 

"Any apology for Nazism is unacceptable," Duque said on Friday. While condemning the event, the Colombian President added that those involved in organising the police event would be held to account. “Anti-Semitism has no place in the world,” Duque said. 

Germany, Israel condemn the incident 

The incident occurred at the Simon Bolivar Police School in the city of Tulua. One of the participants appeared to dress up as Adolf Hitler and swastikas and Nazi symbols were featured heavily in the event. It is to mention that the German Nazi party, led by Adolf Hitler, killed an estimated six million Jews during World War Two. Hitler’s campaign to eradicate the Jewish population became known as the Holocaust. 

According to the BBC, following the event, the head of the academy was sacked. The Colombian Defense Ministry, on the other hand, said in a statement that its training guidelines “do not envisage in any way an activity such as the one which took place” last week. The German Israeli embassies in Bogota also issued a joint statement expressing “total rejection” of any form of apology or demonstration of Nazism. They even urged Colombia to do more to educate people about Holocaust.  

(Image: Twitter/AP)