Colombia: Information on the lottery system for selecting males to perform military service

The information that follows was provided by a consular official at the Embassy of Colombia in Ottawa during a 1 December 2003 telephone interview. This adds to the information provided in COL41616.E of 24 June 2003, COL40372.E of 5 November 2002; additional information can also be found in COL42264.E of 15 December 2003.

All Colombian males are required to register for military service a year before reaching the age of majority (18 years). When they turn 18, the young men must define their military status (definir su situación militar). This means approaching the authorities (military or police recruitment centres if in Colombia, consular authorities if abroad) to determine whether they are exempt from military service and, if not exempt, whether they can postpone their eligibility. In Colombia, a person must approach a recruitment centre where the recruitment authorities will determine whether he is exempt from service (see below for grounds for exemption from military service). If not entitled to exemption based on non-medical grounds, the individual will undergo a medical examination to determine if he is eligible (apto) for military service.

"Lottery" is not an accurate term to define the system by which persons are chosen to perform military service: The local recruitment office can determine – sometimes on the same day – whether a person among those who are present and deemd eligible (aptos) is called to serve or not. This usually depends on the number of vacant positions to be filled: if there were many more eligible men than vacant positions at the time of the eligibility screening, there would be a random draw by which a first choice (titular) and a replacement (suplente) would be selected for each vacant position. Persons initially called to serve may be found ineligible later, either upon further medical examination or other unexpected circumstances; thus, a replacement could be needed.

The need to fill soldier positions with men conscripted through the system explained above has been diminishing in recent years since more soldier positions are being filled by men who volunteer to perform military service. Volunteer soldiers are salaried positions; their salaries and conditions have improved and, with these improvements, the number of volunteers has increased. Volunteers take precedence over others eligible for conscription; however, conscription is still needed to fill all remaining positions.

The grounds for exemption from military service include:

- having physical or medical disabilities or limitations

- being a member of a native (indigenous) community

- being a Catholic priest or having an equivalent position in other religions

- having been convicted or found guilty of a criminal offence

- being a single child

- being an orphan who helps support a parent and/or siblings

- being the brother or child of a person disabled or killed while performing military service, or of a person who was killed or disabled through their participation in military or police activities

- being married

- being 30 years of age or older

Postponement of eligibility for call-up can be granted for the following reasons:

- having a brother who is performing military service

- being temporarily detained or arrested

- demonstrating a temporary incapacitating injury or disability

- being a student at a religious seminar or studying to enter a police or military academy

- being a student in the last year of high school (includes those who are repeating it after having failed to pass it the previous year)

The above exemptions and reasons for postponing military service are also listed on the Website of the Colombian army (Colombia 1 Dec. 2003). The consular official interviewed on 1 December 2003 added that conscientious objection is recognized in Colombia under the Constitution enacted in 1991, and that this right has been confirmed by the courts in some specific cases. The source added that there are various non-military and unarmed alternative forms of service, including police auxiliary service and social service.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

Colombia. 1 December 2003. Ejercito Nacional. "Servicio Militar." [Accessed 1 Dec. 2003]

Embassy of Colombia, Ottawa. 1 December 2003. Telephone interview with a consular official.