He is the professional soldier Perea, of the National Army, considered a true hero, after appearing in videos and photos with a heavy cylinder equipped with explosives on his shoulders to protect the population in the vicinity of the bridge over the Mayo River, on the Pan-American Highway, between the departments of Cauca and Nariño.
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The event occurred on the morning of Monday, April 27, on the Panamericana, when his risky intervention as a member of the Light Infantry Battalion No. 9 of the National Army, managed to prevent the aforementioned bridge from being destroyed by the explosive charge, leaving the department of Nariño completely isolated from the rest of the country.
Originally from the Colombian Caribbean coast, the 28-year-old uniformed man, of whom he spent eight years in the National Army, is married and has a son.
That day when you had to employ thoroughly and put his life at risk, by defusing the explosive device that members of an illegal armed group installed in the middle of the bridge, several transporters and passengers moving along the important road corridor witnessed the valuable performance of the soldier.
The brave soldier with the bomb cylinder on his shoulder. Photo:video
“They tried to blow up the Río Mayo bridge, on the border between Cauca and Nariño, there are several explosion craters and two cylinders without activating,” said one of the drivers of a truck that was traveling on the highway.
Another transporter commented that three large craters appeared on the bridge, which forced the authorities to suspend mobility along that route and recommend the use of the Pasto – Buesaco – La Unión – Mojarras road as a temporary alternative.
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‘We received an alert’
From the area of operations where he now carries out a mission aimed at combating the actions of illegal armed groups, the professional soldier spoke with EL TIEMPO about that impeccable work that was a challenge for his life from a remote area of Nariño.
“We received the alert on the Mayo River bridge of an explosive device, the platoon went to that sector to attend to that situation,” he commented to this publishing house.
He said that the mission he had at that time was to guarantee the safety of the Explosives Detection and Disposal (EOD) group, which carries out the meticulous process of destroying the explosive device.
Carefully using special ropes and high-precision elements, he managed to deactivate the device, which the rebels painted with the colors of the Colombian flag.
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He recalled that he walked about 30 meters until he approached the explosive device that was located on that bridge considered emblematic, because it marks the natural limit between the departments of Nariño and Cauca.
He later revealed about the next step he had to take at that moment: “Already doing the procedure, it was verified that everything was under control, so the cylinder is left in the middle of the road already destroyed.”
In the midst of the strong heat that hit the humanities of those on both sides of the bridge observing the dangerous maneuver of the soldier, the next step would be to think about the life of the community.
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Tranquility for the population
“I did not hesitate to take the initiative to remove it from there to suddenly give peace of mind to the civilian population and to speed up vehicular traffic,” he added.
He said that he decided to move it from the place where it was and place it in another place where it would not interrupt free mobility.
The brave soldier with the bomb cylinder on his shoulder. Photo:video
EL TIEMPO asked him if he was afraid for his life, to which he responded that he experienced moments of “a lot of pressure, but he was fully convinced that everything would turn out well.”
He added: “At that moment I felt so much adrenaline because you don’t know what can happen. But, for us as soldiers, these situations do not limit us, we are used to that, this is our daily life.”
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And he could not hide his love for the country and his commitment to the cause when he said: “We are willing to offer our lives for Colombia and to see a healthy people.”
Finally, in the many videos recorded by those who witnessed the event, you can see the professional soldier with the cylinder on his shoulders and talking on his cell phone, confident and calm about his duty accomplished.
They highlighted its great value
The Third Division of the National Army The brave performance of the professional soldier Perea was highlighted.
“The professional soldier Perea, from Brigade 23, is an example of this work. A cylinder packed with explosives was intervened in a controlled manner by the Explosives Detection and Disposal Team (EOD), through a technical procedure that allowed its destruction in safe conditions, avoiding any impact on the civilian population and military personnel,” is part of the report on the exaltation of the soldier’s act of bravery.
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He also maintained that behind each intervention there are men who, with preparation, courage and discipline, work so that communities travel safely through that road corridor that unites the departments of Nariño and Cauca and allows access to the center of the country.
It was so the professional soldier Perea prevented a serious terrorist attack against an essential infrastructure, after the constant episodes of violence that generated much anxiety and fear in the civilian population.
MAURICIO DE LA ROSA
Special for EL TIEMPO
Grass
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