Simón Bolívar (1783-1830) was known in history as the “Libertador”, “Liberator”, of Latin America: the general from , led the rebellion against the Spanish colonialists not only in his country but also in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, which was named after him.
The spirit of Bolivar, who was identified with the defense of the right of peoples, now appears in: a battalion of mercenaries from Latin American countries, they borrow the name of the “Liberator” and fight on the side of the Ukrainians, against the Russians. Ukrainians consider them particularly effective.
Reinforcement of Ukrainian infantry with foreign mercenaries
Kyiv welcomes foreign fighters fighting in the ranks of the Ukrainian army. The Ukrainian government aims for them to make up 30% to 50% of infantry and assault units in order to make up for the lack of Ukrainian infantrymen relative to the Russian army.
The history of the “Bolivar Order”
The story of the “Bolivar Order” begins with the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Then, José David Chaparo, an immigrant from Venezuela, who lived in Moscow and Kiev since 1989, created a volunteer unit, within the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine, which the Kiev government wanted to strengthen
Chaparo, a critic of Venezuela’s Maduro regime and the communist Cuba that supports it, denounces the alliance between Moscow and Caracas, and the presence of Russian mercenaries of the paramilitary “Wagner Group” in Venezuela.
Today, as reported in his report in the French newspaper Le Monde, the war correspondent, Remy Urdan, Chaparo commands 300 men in the Spanish-speaking “Bolivar Battalion”, which is made up of professional soldiers who serve under contract in Ukraine, and come mainly from Colombia, Chile, Brazil, Venezuela, Spain, Portugal.
Scandals in the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine
In the early years of the war, the best foreign fighters had joined the Ukrainian military intelligence service (HUR). Despite its great reputation – this service, which was commanded by General Kirill Budanov, who in early January 2026 took over as chief of staff of Ukrainian President Zelensky, was hit by scandals.
One of its units, made up of Brazilians and Portuguese, was disbanded amid allegations of torture that resulted in the death of a soldier. HUR has dismissed the unit’s Brazilian commander, Leanderson Paulino, while Ukrainian judicial authorities investigate the alleged violations and abuses.
Inclusion of the “Bolivar Battalion” in the defense forces of Ukraine
After initially serving in the defense forces of Ukraine, the “Bolivar Battalion”, he joined the HUR in 2024. The good reputation of the unit allowed its commander to attract fighters from Latin America. In 2025, the “Bolivar Order” left the HUR, to join the Alpha force of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), another secret service, which is even more famous for its professionalism. The “Bolivar Order” became the first foreign order to join the SBU. “In Alpha there are no restrictions in terms of support, means and weaponry,” states the battalion commander.
One of the fighters of the “Bolivar Order” is Glock (pseudonym), a 21-year-old Chilean who worked for private military companies and served two years in the Chilean army. He wants to contribute to the salvation of Ukrainians and Europe. He emphasizes that “the commander is very good, the training is excellent, and the salary is paid on time.”
Colombian adrenaline junkies
According to Glock, Latin American fighters are not only mercenaries attracted by the high salaries (up to 3,800 euros per month), depending on the number of days they spend on the front line.
“Some come to send money to their families, others are ex-combatants, adrenaline junkies, unable to return to civilian life, like some Colombians who have lived through decades of civil war in their country.” There are those, like Glock himself, who “love Ukraine and hate Russia.” “With the military experience I have, I could, like my other military friends from Chile, have gone to work in Africa, for private military companies. I would make five or six times more money.” But he is satisfied with a “normal salary”, because in Ukraine he found “a purpose, a reason for existence and contribution”.
His goal is to “save Ukraine” and prevent Russia from fighting Europe. Glock’s comrade-in-arms is also “Winter” (pseudonym), a 33-year-old anthropologist from Mexico. He did not want to come to Ukraine “as an anthropologist or a journalist, but as a soldier, to live an adventure and one day write his memoirs.”
At a training field in Mykolaiv Oblast, southern Ukraine, Winter learns to operate drones. Because as his comrade-in-arms, Glock, says, the drone operator is no longer a soldier safe and away from the front.
Few losses for the “Bolivar Order”
When asked, the commander of the “Bolivar Battalion” does not reveal how many men he lost when the battalion was serving under HUR command. But he claims that since the unit joined the elite Alpha force, only one death has been recorded.
