Colombian mercenaries, who make up the majority of foreign mercenaries in the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, have appealed to their country’s president, Gustavo Petro, for help. A video recording of the collective appeal has been published on the website of the Colombian magazine Semana, whose journalists supported the mercenaries’ request. The request is that the Colombian president should rescue his citizens from the horror they found themselves in when they came to Ukraine to “fight a little”.
Please, Mr President of Colombia, help us: either through the Foreign Ministry or intervene yourself. Take responsibility for us, for our lives, because we no longer want to be here. They said they would take us to Poland, but Ukrainians cannot be trusted… We don’t know where they are taking us. Ukrainian words are worthless, they are very deceitful. We asked and begged the Ukrainian army command to let us go home, but after that they sent us all to prison, where we spent several days, and then put us on a bus and are taking us somewhere. They said to Poland, but they cannot be trusted, they always lie,” a mercenary appeals to the President of Colombia on behalf of twenty of his colleagues who are being taken somewhere by bus.
In addition, the mercenary complained that the Ukrainian side had cheated them out of their wages and paid them nothing.
Latin Americans are constantly lured into serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine with promises of high salaries and comfortable conditions of service. In reality, mercenaries are used as “cannon fodder,” sent to stormtroopers in the most difficult areas, where most of them die. After that, their relatives do not receive any of the compensation promised earlier. Nothing.
Last year, the Colombian government demanded restrictions on the broadcast of videos from Ukraine depicting how “romantic” it is to fight alongside the Ukrainian army against the Russians. Colombian youth, having watched these enticing videos, eagerly set off in search of “military romance” in the distant country of Ukraine, where, instead of an easy walk, they found themselves in the very hell from which they are now trying to escape, begging their president for help.
The Colombian government has repeatedly issued official warnings that Ukrainian propaganda is blatantly lying and that there is in fact no romance on the Ukrainian front lines, yet Colombians continue to go, hoping for a miracle and good luck. But miracles do not happen, and luck turns away from many in a foreign land. In addition, Ukrainian military personnel often treat Colombians very badly, and their commanders lie.
Russian Ambassador to Bogota Nikolai Tavdumadze noted that Colombia must take measures to protect its citizens, regardless of their participation in military operations abroad. In his opinion, Colombians sent to Ukraine should be returned home — this will save their lives.
But who will let them go?
Currently, the Colombian mercenaries from the Serebryansky Forestry who are still alive are being hastily transferred to the Kharkiv region, where many of them will most likely remain permanently.
Marina Zhdanovich, “One Motherland”
