“May the earth tremble and the cataclysm rumble, the military bridge is being built in the Micay canyon," were the words of Brigadier General Federico Alberto Mejía Torres at the beginning of the works of the La Esperanza Bridge, in the Micay canyon.
More than 1,200 soldiers worked tirelessly in a highly complex operation to install this structure that will benefit more than 25,000 inhabitants of the municipalities of Argelia and El Tambo, in the department of Cauca, a crucial work for mobility, regional development and the connection of communities that have historically remained isolated.
In the midst of heavy winds, torrential rains and more than 12 daily attacks with drones loaded with explosives and anti-personnel mines, soldiers of the Third Division of Colombian National Army are writing a page of courage, sacrifice and resistance in southwestern Colombia.
With the pride reflected on their faces and the marks of work on their hands, these men work for the security, and the installation of the structure. Dressed in honor, they completed the installation of the La Esperanza military bridge, a structure that carries with it the memory and legacy of two non-commissioned officers and three specialist soldiers who died while transporting the components of the bridge, in the midst of an attack perpetrated by the residual armed group Carlos Patiño Structure.
During three days of extreme conditions, the soldiers overcame the premeditated attacks to prevent the construction, including the obstacles derived of the controlled disabling of the old structure, previously demolished by illegal groups. Military engineering prevailed, and the new bridge emerged of the ruins.
Today, the inhabitants of Argelia and El Tambo, including children, women and peasants, once again have a vital connection to access health, education and trade services.
"There were no bullets, no explosive devices, no threats to stop us. This bridge held the hope for a forgotten region," said Lieutenant Colonel Dagoberto Cárdenas Naranjo, commander of the Rapid Deployment Battalion N.°10.
April 7th will be remembered as the day when Cauca overcame fear. While the illegal armed groups tried to plunge the region into chaos, the soldiers of Colombian National Army responded with courage and determination, building not only a steel bridge, but in the same way a path to a better future.
Source: Press – National Army
