Two former Colombian soldiers who went to fight in Ukraine will be tried in Moscow in October. Held in the Lefortovo centre and accused of mercenary work, Alexander Ante, 47, and José Medina, 36, face a possible 15-year prison sentence.
The two men disappeared on July 18 during a stopover in Caracas, while they were returning to their country after spending eight and ten months respectively on the front, in the ranks of the 49e infantry battalion “Karpatska Sitch”. They reappeared in late August, handcuffed, in a video by the Russian Federal Security Service. The Russian authorities told the Colombian embassy in Moscow that the two former soldiers had been arrested on August 26 and brought before a judge on the 29th. Suspected of involvement in the operation, the Venezuelan authorities have remained silent.
No typical profile
The case is a reminder that hundreds of Colombians are fighting, legally or illegally, outside their country. In 2021, the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse by Colombian mercenaries highlighted the phenomenon. The Andean country has experienced a very long armed conflict. “Its military and police officers, who have real field experience, are in high demand by private security companies and states at war,” recalls researcher Andres Macias, from the Externado University.
“Colombians are one of the largest foreign contingents, but they are not the most important,” ” nuance Oleksandr Shaguri, spokesman for the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine, which brings together the majority of foreign fighters. Commenting on the military quality of the Colombians, Mr. Shaguri insists that there is no typical profile: ” Every individual comes to us with a different background. Some are very good, some less so, and some come without any military training whatsoever,” he explains.
Alexander Ante, who after completing his military service spent more than ten years in the Colombian army, had been unemployed for months when, in October 2023, he left for Ukraine. “He let himself be tempted by the sirens of social networks,” says his sister, Carolina. José Medina, who flew away shortly after his compatriot, worked as a guard. He had bank loans to repay. The Ukrainian army pays foreign fighters the equivalent of 1,500 to 3,000 euros per month, on an equal footing with Ukrainians. In Colombia, a soldier earns between 270 and 540 euros.
You have 61.19% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
Source: Lemonde
