Ricardo Patino says that military personnel that trained civilians had no permits

Minister of defense Ricardo Patiño himself confirmed this. The men who appear in a video instructing civilians and dressed in a camouflage uniform pixelated “are military.” According to the official, these events occurred more than a year ago. And the two militaries who appear in the recording currently face a disciplinary process. “I have that information now, those who made this have been identified. They are military and they committed a serious mistake,” Patino said on September 20, during an interview on the Public TV and Radio.

This clarification of the Minister comes a week after the videos were uploaded to the Internet. The recordings generated controversy in social networks, because the military explain the civilians how to act if a manifestation arrives. They also they train them to protect themselves from a protesters´ attack with sticks. They even teach them how to communicate in an encrypted language, how to treat the injured and how to avoid tear gas in potential protests.

Rodrigo Collaguazo, alternate Assemblyman of Alianza Pais, and Carla Delgado, leader of Social Movements are identified in the video. The latter explained that it was a “sports and picnic morning.” Collaguazo assured it was a speech course. Minister Patino revealed that the soldiers had no permits to perform this activity. “They do not have any authorization from the Army nor the Armed Forces to give such training,” he stated.

Source: http://www.elcomercio.com/actualidad/ricardopatino-militares-entrenamiento-civiles-permiso.html