50 former members of the Colombian army took steps to join an “elite group” organized by the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.
Right-wing news outlet PanAm Post published an interview with a retired deputy sergeant from the Colombian army, identified as Camilo Sánchez but noting that his identity was changed for confidentiality reasons. During the interview, the sergeant said that former members of the Colombian army contacted a Ukrainian military officer to initiate the process.
“They asked us for documents that prove that we do not have criminal records or ongoing disciplinary proceedings,” said the sergeant. “In addition, they asked us to certify our military experience in combat and a résumé specifying our knowledge in the field. Once he verified that documentation, they summoned us to an interview. God willing, in ten days we will be joining the legion in the Ukraine.”
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According to the sergeant, in order to get to Ukraine they were asked to fly to Poland by their own means. After reporting their presence on the border with Ukraine, they would establish contact with Ukrainian military personnel before entering Ukraine.
This is not the only group of Colombian ex-military personnel that initiated contacts with the Government of Ukraine, reported PanAm Post. Miguel Torres, a retired non-commissioned officer of the Colombian army, said that last Wednesday a group of 15 ex-soldiers met in the Simón Bolívar Park in Bogotá to be briefed with details on the process.
“In that meeting we agreed that in the next few days we are going to transport eight colleagues to Lima, Peru, to get in touch with the (Ukrainian) embassy,” said Torres. “Here in Colombia there is no Ukrainian embassy, that is why we have to make that trip to legalize and speed up the entire process, because in Bogotá we have not had any answers from the consulate.”
Colombia’s Ministry of Defense reported in recent days that some 10,000 troops request discharge annually. It is public knowledge that a large part of these retired soldiers offer their “services” as “military contractors”—a euphemism for mercenaries.
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Zelensky’s appeal to foreigners
This group of Colombian mercenaries is acting in response to Zelensky’s call for the formatioin of a “Ukrainian Territorial Defense Legion.”
“President Zelenskyy announced creation of a new unit named "International Legion".We already have thousands requests from foreigners, who want to join the resistance to the 🇷🇺 occupiers and protect the world security from Putin regime"-Hanna Maliar – Deputy Minister of Defence
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) February 28, 2022
“All those who want to join the defense of security in Europe and the world can come and stand by the side of the Ukrainians,” Zelensky declared on February 27.
“Foreigners willing to defend Ukraine and the world order as part of the International Legion for Territorial Defense of Ukraine, I invite you to contact the foreign diplomatic missions of Ukraine in your respective countries,” wrote Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba the same day. “Together we defeated Hitler and we will also defeat Putin.”
Many analysts and experts have raise serious concerns about the implications of this declaration, speculating that it could mark a revisiting of the US strategy employed most recently in Syria. In this scenario, extremists capable of expanding the currently localized conflict in Ukraine could cause it to become radicalized and spread to neighboring European countries.
Featured image: Man in military uniform holding an automatic rifle. File photo.
(RedRadioVE) by Patricia Ferrer, with Orinoco Tribune content.
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE