Del soldado ideal al combatiente real: Una aproximación a las narrativas sobre la profesionalización militar en colombia

Abstract

This article examines the coexistence of different narratives about the Colombian Army, specifically the Professional Soldier Academy (ESPRO), founded to offer a center of excellence for training Colombian soldiers. All narratives reveal different ways of understanding soldiers’ professionalism. This article shows how the narrative of ESPRO builds the ideal fighter and discusses the established link with the past of Colombian independence, specific functions of the academy, and soldier education. It also shows how soldiers understand the concept of a professional soldier and different aspects of their learning. The article takes an ethnographic approach to expand the understanding of the Colombian Army and is based on fieldwork developed in 2016 at ESPRO.