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The Caribbean beach town of Coveñas is the home of the Colombian Marine Infantry (Infantería de Marina Colombiana). It was founded on September 17, 1810, and traces its origins to the Colombian independence movement.
Marine Infantry Museum
Every member of the Marines is trained at the base in Coveñas. A small section of the base has been set aside as a museum open to visitors for COP$10,000 each (as of July 2023). Visits are through a guided tour only. Tours last about an hour.
Military Vehicles
Our visit began with a chance to climb on some retired military vehicles while waiting for our guide. There was a tank, a jeep, and an old gunboat.
Triumphal Arch
Next, we walked past a bust of Francisco de Paula Santander, the founder of the Marine Infantry, to a triumphal arch. The arch stands in front of a reflecting pool.
Parthenon
Across the reflecting pool is a replica of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. It’s a very basic replica and holds the first part of the museum inside.
Once inside, we were able to learn about the history of the Marine Infantry. Historic uniforms are on display as well as maps and interpretive panels of historic battles. We watched a short film before continuing to the main museum.
Main Museum
The main museum contains several interesting exhibits. The first one shows what happens to recruits when they arrive at the training base. Next door is a scale model of the entire base.
An entire room is set up to show how soldiers live in the jungle under difficult conditions. There’s even a small hut with a machine gun and radio, and a very heavy helmet visitors could try on.
The following room contains information about important missions carried out by the Marine Infantry, including the hunt for drug trafficker and Pablo Escobar associate Gonzalo Rodríguez Gacha (aka El Mexicano). Several confiscated weapons and mines are on display as well.
Another room is set up to show how special forces units work. Different uniforms and equipment are on display.
Finally, we visited a room with a replica FARC prison camp. There are several photos of atrocities committed by FARC as well as a mannequin prisoner and guard. The guide explained how the Marine Infantry was involved in the struggle against FARC for several years.
Free Time
Once we left the museum, we walked past another section of the base and a scale model of a building. We then had some free time to take photos of the Parthenon and triumphal arch.
