Article 4
In this exclusive report, our journalists joined a military convoy for an up-close look at the men and women who put their lives on the line to keep us safe. It was supposed to be a routine day, but it ended in violence; a skirmish that led to the death of one of the soldiers.
Interview: Guillermo Barbès. Photos: Pedro Coñado.
In Esperanza, we climb aboard a military convoy bound for Aguas Lindas. The mission today is under the command of Captain Ramirez, a confident veteran who knows this route and the soldiers under his command like the back of his hand. The Captain tells us we’ll be joining him in the lead vehicle. It’s a standard formation; the truck carrying the much-needed medical supplies will be in the middle, with an armoured truck bringing up the rear.
Ramirez barks out the order and the convoy roars onto the roads. The skyline of Esperanza, crowned by the beautiful Torre de Leon, vanishes behind us.
The experience of riding in a convoy was not what we expected. Passing cars sound their horns while pedestrians wave and cheer. Then, the tone abruptly changes. The convoy reaches a stretch of marshland and the Captain orders everyone to be on alert. This foul, crocodile-infested area is a suspected “Libertad” hideout.
Two men and a woman appear by the roadside. Their arms are loaded down with paint cans, power tools, rusted car parts - to the untrained eye, they look like poor Yarans out to salvage scrap. Our seasoned Captain knows better. The convoy grounds to a halt and Ramirez sends a new recruit to check out the situation. The Private climbs down from the truck, rifle at the ready—
--and that’s when all hell breaks loose. The woman connects a hose to one of the paint cans and unleashes a terrific gout of flame that engulfs the poor soldier. The convoy opens up, riddling the woman with bullets as her two companions flee.
Two people dead, a Yaran soldier, and a terrorist. And it all happened in just a few seconds.
There’s no time for mourning – we still have a mission to complete. As the soldier’s body is loaded next to the medical supplies, the Captain shakes his head. This isn’t the first time he’s come across this kind of weapon. The terrorists will turn anything into a tool of destruction. He’s heard reports of improvised rocket launchers, EMP devices, and even strange contraptions that hurl compact discs. And what is standing between Yara and the chaos of Libertad?
Brave men like Captain Ramirez and the young Private who lost his life defending our freedom.
As we drive through small towns, and past sprawling farms, the voice of Presidente Castillo comes on the radio. Every soldier in the convoy goes quiet. The President pledges himself and his nation to eternal vigilance. He declares that he will have no mercy on those who threaten the peace. His words are the perfect balm for troubled souls.
In a way, this convoy is much like our nation. If we keep vigilant and are prepared to make sacrifices, we will reach our destination, Paradise.
