In a video, this man claimed that he earned 19 million pesos a month.
News Colombia.
Luis Javier Cardona Mejía, a 38-year-old from Pereira, lost his life in the midst of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, where he was fighting as a mercenary alongside Ukrainian forces.
In a moving video shared on social media days before his fatal fate, Cardona revealed that he earned up to 19 million pesos a month for his participation, aware of the constant danger he faced.
In the video, Cardona also expressed his motivations for joining the conflict, highlighting his desire to support Ukrainians against the Russian invasion and criticizing the payment conditions and the harshness of the combat.
“Before making this decision, think about it very carefully because once you are here it is not very feasible to return because you were scared or could not bear it,” he warned thoughtfully.
#Risaralda | Luis Javier Cardona, from Pereira, died in the middle of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. In a video, Cardona said that he earned 19 million pesos a month and was aware that death could come at any time when he accepted the contract. pic.twitter.com/i7B2Ae4Qfk
— La FM (@lafm) July 18, 2024
Tragically, later news reports confirmed that Cardona Mejia was killed by Russian forces in the Zaporizhia region, near Donetsk, in an area where clashes between Ukrainian and Russian soldiers are intense.
The International Legion for the Territorial Defense of Ukraine, an organization he joined upon arriving in Europe, deeply mourned his loss in a recent obituary: “Our dear Colombian brother, who had been serving as a volunteer, succumbed on the battlefield.”
Colombians in this conflict
Cardona Mejía’s case is not unique among Colombians who have participated in this European conflict as mercenaries. Colombia’s ambassador to the United Kingdom has warned of the dangers of getting involved in a foreign war for economic reasons, calling it a “death trap.”
According to official information, more than 50 Colombians have lost their lives in Ukraine to date, although the number could be higher due to the difficulties in recovering bodies in combat zones.
Recently, the obituary of the International Legion for the Territorial Defense of Ukraine reported multiple deaths, including that of Cardona, as well as those of other compatriots such as Ricael Bejarano, Jorge Luis Perdomo Fierro, José William Luna Campera, Eduardo García Carvajal and Alexandro Antonio Padilla, all of whom sacrificed their lives attracted by the high salaries offered.
A New York Times report has revealed how former Colombian soldiers have been recruited with monthly salaries of up to 12 million, but the reality for many families is devastating, facing the irreparable loss of their loved ones and the impossibility of claiming compensation.
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