The Government of Colombia delivered this Monday one of the highest decorations in the country to the soldiers and indigenous people who participated in the operation that allowed the discovery of the four indigenous children lost for 40 days in the Amazon jungle in early June.
President Gustavo Petro presented the medals of the Order of Boyacá (the second highest award for the military and the first for civilians) at the presidential palace to the soldiers and indigenous people who participated in the search, but also to Wilson’s mother, the tracker dog still lost in the jungle.
“More than the medals, which are symbolic, (…) the great prize, the great reward, is called: life,” he said, highlighting the technical skills of the military and the knowledge of the jungle on the part of the indigenous people.
lost for 40 days
The plane in which the children were traveling crashed in a remote area of the department of Caquetá, in the south of the country. But Lesly (13), Soleiny (9), Tien Noriel (5) and Cristin (1) survived the impact and then the jungle, guided by the “ancestral” knowledge of the indigenous people, stressed Gustavo Petro, who hailed the miraculous outcome . as a victory for his government.
The research was carried out by the military both on the ground and in the air, as well as using satellites. Meanwhile, the natives claimed to have connected to “Mother Earth” to guide their research.
I appreciate “the enormous work that you have done together”, added Gustavo Petro, acknowledging in particular General Pedro Sánchez at the head of the rescue operation.
The latter considered during the ceremony “unlikely” that Wilson, who had apparently been in contact with the children before they were found, would be found. However, he assured that the efforts to find him have not ended. The dog’s mother, Drugia, was awarded in his honor. The children, found very weak and emaciated, remain in the military hospital in Bogotá.
Source: BFM TV
