Latin American women recruited to fight in Ukraine's war
Recruitment of Latin American women into the Ukrainian army is growing: salaries of 800 euros, extreme risk and a non-stop Colombia-Ukraine air bridge.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Latin American volunteers in Ukraine: from poverty to the front line
A former Colombian police officer shows her new life in a Ukrainian trench on TikTok. Another woman, who goes by the alias "La Queen", posts videos encouraging other Latin American women to enlist. In recent months, the flow of volunteers from Latin America to Ukraine has become a phenomenon whose profiles and figures give plenty of food for thought.
The salary you can't find in Colombia
The offers start at 500 euros a month and reach 800 for those who sign longer contracts. In Colombia, where 40% of the population lives in poverty and female employment remains precarious, those amounts look like a lifeline. Some testimonies compare the experience to joining illegal armed groups such as the FARC or the ELN, but with a military contract in between. Need wins out over antiestéticar.
Do women serve in modern warfare?
The debate is wide open. While some argue that the Colombian women's jungle experience makes them more resourceful than many European soldiers, others insist that a woman in combat creates more problems than benefits. The historical examples cited do little to settle the question. What is striking is that, with 75,000 women in the Ukrainian army, images from the front show almost exclusively Latin American faces. Where are the others?
The Bogota-Kiev air bridge
The phenomenon has spawned an anecdote that is circulating widely: according to some specialized podcasts, the busiest air route in the world today would be the one between Colombia and Ukraine. Beyond the exaggeration, the fact is that recruitment networks have become a small business in which the volunteers themselves act as recruiters. And some point out that it is European money for Kiev that is paying for this war migration.
The most unsettling figure comes at the end: while European countries debate sending troops, it is the women of a country 9,000 kilometers away who are risking their lives for a salary of less than 1,000 euros. Once again, war is paid for in economic currency.
A former Colombian police officer shows her new life in a Ukrainian trench on TikTok. Another woman, who goes by the alias "La Queen", posts videos encouraging other Latin American women to enlist. In recent months, the flow of volunteers from Latin America to Ukraine has become a phenomenon whose profiles and figures give plenty of food for thought.
The salary you can't find in Colombia
The offers start at 500 euros a month and reach 800 for those who sign longer contracts. In Colombia, where 40% of the population lives in poverty and female employment remains precarious, those amounts look like a lifeline. Some testimonies compare the experience to joining illegal armed groups such as the FARC or the ELN, but with a military contract in between. Need wins out over antiestéticar.
Do women serve in modern warfare?
The debate is wide open. While some argue that the Colombian women's jungle experience makes them more resourceful than many European soldiers, others insist that a woman in combat creates more problems than benefits. The historical examples cited do little to settle the question. What is striking is that, with 75,000 women in the Ukrainian army, images from the front show almost exclusively Latin American faces. Where are the others?
The Bogota-Kiev air bridge
The phenomenon has spawned an anecdote that is circulating widely: according to some specialized podcasts, the busiest air route in the world today would be the one between Colombia and Ukraine. Beyond the exaggeration, the fact is that recruitment networks have become a small business in which the volunteers themselves act as recruiters. And some point out that it is European money for Kiev that is paying for this war migration.
The most unsettling figure comes at the end: while European countries debate sending troops, it is the women of a country 9,000 kilometers away who are risking their lives for a salary of less than 1,000 euros. Once again, war is paid for in economic currency.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (76 replies).
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