The retired Second Sergeant of the Army, Carlos Rojas, lost his right leg in an operation against the then Farc guerrilla, in Meta. “Thank God I’ve gotten ahead, my family has supported me and she fought a lot,” said the now war veteran, who drives a taxi.
Rafael Rodríguez C.
rafael@lanacion.com.co
“Remembering that moment is tragic, there were several minutes and even hours of pain. It is sad for one to lose a part of the body, but in a certain way, as a soldier, he is aware of these situations for the struggle and freedom of this country.”
Said the retired second sergeant of the Army, Carlos Rojas, whose right leg was taken away by the internal Colombian conflict, in an operation with the then Farc guerrilla, Vista Hermosa, in the department of Meta, on August 26, 2009.
“My amputation was when I was First Corporal, unfortunately a minefield fell, and I lost my right leg,” said the ex-military, a disability pensioner, with a calm voice. “I left pensioned with the rank of Second Sergeant,” he proudly pointed out in dialogue with LA NACIÓN.
Rojas, who for 13 years proudly wore camouflage at the service of the Colombian Army, recalled that on the day of his tragedy, he and his colleagues from the 99th Counter Guerrilla Battalion (Bacon 99) were carrying out military operations in the Vista area. Beautiful.
“We entered into combat with the 33rd front of the Farc, after entering into combat with that group I fell into a minefield,” said the Second Sergeant, who wore a cap with the word veteran in the colors of the Colombian flag.
For Rojas, knowing that he would not have his right leg again, not only meant entering into an internal conflict, but he had to find enough strength to get ahead for himself and his family.
“At first it is the fear of not walking again, of not doing one like before, but thank God I have moved forward, I have my family who have supported me a lot in this process, I fight a lot for them,” said the veteran.
Furthermore, he does not hesitate to thank the Army for the support it has given him since the first day he lost his leg and it was replaced by a prosthesis. “The institution has a medical service, they provided me with a prosthesis which allows me to walk and carry out my daily life,” said Second Sergeant (r).
Rojas not only lived through his nightmare, but throughout his military career he experienced similar or perhaps stronger episodes that happened to his comrades. “This was the strongest I had, but there were situations with colleagues who were injured by firearms, others suffered amputations because of these antipersonnel mines.”
The militia (r) was providing service to the country in the Transport battalions in Bogotá, Special and Vial Energético number One in Arauca, Cartagena Battalion in La Guajira and Contra Guerrilla number 99 “that was where unfortunately the leg thing happened to me ”, he expressed.
Today the man works driving a taxi through the streets of the Huilense capital. “It is a profession that is easy for me, I do it with all my heart, as I have always been working in my life doing things and providing a good service,” he said.
