Medical students had not been able to travel to Popayán to do internships due to a tragedy in Rosas; Army rescued them by helicopter

National Army troops, in a humanitarian action, supported 16 students from the University of Cauca affected by the closure of the Pan-American Highway and who had to urgently arrive in Popayán to continue their studies in medical centers in the city and, at the same time provide care to the population.

It was necessary to deploy a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter to support the work required after the closure of the Pan-American highway. The crew made up of aviator soldiers from the Mobility and Maneuver Battalion N.3 of the Third Division landed in the village of Piedra Sentada, municipality of Patía, Cauca, and were in charge of transporting the medical students to the capital of the department.

Everything required coordination between different units. In a temporary heliport that was secured by the military units to carry out the airlift, the students met to facilitate their passage and prevent them from losing their medical practices, after more than a week without attending the university.

“We want to thank the National Army for its collaboration and protection in these moments of calamity, since we urgently needed to relocate, as our careers require a large practical componentsaid one of the students.

For his part, Deibar René Hurtado, rector of the University of Cauca, also spoke, thanking the transfer bridge that has already benefited 30 students from the health faculty who require face-to-face practices.

The humanitarian work of the soldiers took place within the framework of the security plan Yo por ti Cauca, with which humanitarian assistance is provided to the people of Cauca. In the same way, the National Army has deployed hundreds of men with differential capabilities on alternate roads to guarantee the free mobility of the civilian population in the south of the department of Cauca.

The military institution indicated through a statement that, since the beginning of the emergency in the rural area of ​​Rosas, more than 14 tons of humanitarian aid have been delivered, benefiting nearly 2,400 people with food, clothing, footwear, water and kits for puppies found in shelters.

“In this way, the National Army continues to be committed to contributing by working with honor and discipline for the Colombian people, in order to support the community of Rosas, Cauca, and those travelers who make use of alternative routes to fulfill the mission constitutional”, they pointed out from the entity.

President Gustavo Petro reported this Friday afternoon, January 20, that he is canceling his schedule in France to return to Colombia, with the aim of addressing the situation in southwestern Colombia, specifically in Ipiales, where he is expected to meet with his ministerial cabinet.

The total closure of the Pan-American highway for eleven days due to landslides in Rosas, Cauca, has left Nariño without supplies on different fronts. The difficulties in transporting essential supplies have a complex scenario for this department, according to the Ombudsman’s Office.

The Colombian president had arrived in Toulouse, France, in the last few hours, where he had held several bilateral meetings with regional authorities and planned to visit the Airbus facilities in that city on Saturday, January 21, to strengthen aerospace alliances and talk about the possibility of reinforcing his idea of ​​creating an aerospace agency with Chile.