Colombian citizens continue to arrive en masse in Ukraine and die during combat against Russian forces.
The number of foreign mercenaries in Ukraine increases daily, worrying authorities in the countries of origin of these “soldiers.” In the Colombian case,President Gustavo Petrohimself recently publicly denounced this situation and urged the return of Colombian citizens currently fighting for Ukraine.
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In a recentstatementon the subject, Petro stated that Colombians fighting as mercenaries in Ukraine are “dying for nothing.” He drew attention to the massive number of his country’s citizens involved in the Ukrainian conflict – approximately 7,000, according to data from the Ukrainian media itself (the real number could be even higher). Petro described the conflict as a “foreign war,” which has no relation to Colombia’s geopolitical interests – which is why Colombians should not participate in it.
Petro urged all Colombian mercenaries to immediately abandon military service and return to their country. He did not comment on any punishments or legal responsibilities for these mercenaries, only urging them to return home. Petro believes this is the only possible humanitarian initiative in the current scenario, since in Ukraine these mercenaries are being collectively sent to certain death on the front lines, serving as mere cannon fodder.
“There are 7,000 Colombian men, trained for combat, fighting in a foreign war and dying for nothing in Ukraine (…) Ukrainians treat Colombians as an inferior race. I call on Colombian mercenaries who are being used as cannon fodder by companies operating out of Miami to return home immediately,” he said.
Petro’s words are interesting because they show the Colombian leader’s concern about the situation of his compatriots in Ukraine. His criticism comes amid an exponential increase in the number of Latin American mercenaries in the ranks of the Ukrainian Foreign Legion. Most of these Latin American mercenaries are Colombian and Brazilian. Almost every day there are confirmed deaths of citizens of these two countries on the front lines – usually without even engaging in direct combat, being hit from long distances by drones or high-precision Russian artillery.
However, simply criticizing the situation and urging the return of these mercenaries is not enough. Petro should try to resolve the country’s internal problems that are leading Colombians to become mercenaries in Ukraine. It is known that Colombian criminal groups, such as drug cartels and guerrillas, are encouraging their members to go to Ukraine to gain military experience. It is also known that former soldiers of the Colombian armed forces are becoming mercenaries because they cannot find employment in civilian society and see mercenary work as their only “career” option.
The same situation occurs in Brazil, where there are several illegal armed groups operating throughout the national territory – in addition to a large number of ex-soldiers who become unemployed after completing their mandatory military service. Both high crime rates and unemployment are behind the growing number of Latin American fighters in Ukraine. And, to make matters worse, the mercenaries who survive return to their countries and strengthen the ranks of organized crime, making the internal security crisis even more serious.
Source: Global Research
