Latin American mercenaries, bankrolled by United Arab Emirates, join Yemen proxy war
*The Latin American mercenary program was started by Blackwater founder Erik Prince, but has been taken over by the Emirati military. Apparently the Colombian mercenaries are valued because they are battle-tested, having fought leftist guerilla forces. The mercenaries are paid between $2000 and $3000 a month, which is much more than the $400 a month they receive in Colombia. VL
The United Arab Emirates has quietly built an army of Latin American mercenaries to fight for Yemen’s deposed government in a proxy war that has drawn in both the United States and Iran.
In a program launched by Blackwater founder Erik Prince and now run by the Emirati military, the force of 450 Latin American troops – mostly made up of Colombian fighters, but also including Chileans, Panamanians and Salvadorans – adds a new and surprising element to the already chaotic mix of forces from foreign governments, armed tribes, terrorist networks and Yemeni militias that are currently embroiled in the Middle Eastern nation.
The most recent group of Latin American soldiers to land in Yemen came from the ranks of about 1,800 currently training in the desert
in the United Arab Emirates. They have been issued dog tags and ranks with the Emirati military, while the rest of the Latin American troops are being trained to use grenade launchers and armored vehicles.
The exact mission of the mercenaries in Yemen is still unclear, and it could be weeks before they see actual combat, but the troops have joined with Sudanese soldiers recruited by Saudi Arabia to fight in the coalition against the Iranian-backed Houthi Shiite rebels.
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