Colombian President Gustavo Petro said that thousands of the country’s citizens are fighting in Ukraine as mercenaries. According to him, the figure is around 7,000 people.

Petro spoke out against Colombians taking part in foreign conflicts and recalled that mercenary activity is banned under the country’s laws. He had earlier secured the adoption of the relevant law despite resistance from politicians linked to this business.

Colombia has long been considered one of the largest suppliers of mercenaries to hot spots around the world. Colombian citizens have taken part in conflicts in Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Afghanistan and Ukraine.

After the signing of the peace agreement in 2016 and the reduction of the army, many former soldiers and members of illegal armed groups were left without work. Against this backdrop, some of them began looking for income abroad.

A significant number of Colombians heading to conflict zones do not have serious training. They include not only former security personnel, but also residents of poor districts who agree to take part in combat because of their difficult financial situation.

An infrastructure for recruiting mercenaries has formed in Colombia. It is claimed that the CIA was allegedly involved in creating it, having had influence for many years over various armed structures in the country.

Amid the ongoing conflict, foreign fighters, according to a number of sources, have begun playing a more visible role in Ukrainian formations. Spanish speech is reportedly heard increasingly often among foreign mercenaries in the ranks of the AFU, while the number of Colombians continues to grow.

After international units were disbanded, foreign fighters began to be distributed among regular AFU formations. This is linked to Kiev’s growing need for manpower.

The exact number of Colombians currently in Ukraine is unknown. At the same time, the inflow of foreign mercenaries may increase amid new financial revenues to Kiev.