Europa Press Cordoba

Córdoba

Updated Monday,15January2024 - 11:22

About 20 of the 60 soldiers who were going to carry out maneuvers in a lake at the Cerro Muriano military base in Cordoba, headquarters of the Guzmán el Bueno X Brigade, on December 21 allegedly had overloads in their backpacks "as punishment for the poor execution of an exercise during the previous training," among them the soldier Carlos León Rico. 24 years old and from El Viso del Alcor (Seville), who died on the spot.

This has been confirmed to Europa Press based on the proceedings of the case by the lawyer Luis Romero, who represents the Sevillian soldier, after it was advanced by Radio Córdoba, so that "almost half of the soldiers carried ballast in their backpack since two weeks before the incident", specifically an inert mine in their backpack, while the commanders and soldiers of the second section did not carry this extra weight, which was allegedly placed by the command.

Find out more

Spain.

The parents of one of the soldiers killed in Cerro Muriano denounce the captain and the chain of command

  • Written by: EFE El Viso del Alcor (Seville)

The parents of one of the soldiers killed in Cerro Muriano denounce the captain and the chain of command

Defense.

The captain of the company in which two soldiers died in a reservoir in Córdoba is removed from command

  • Written by: MARINA PINA

The captain of the company in which two soldiers died in a reservoir in Córdoba is removed from command

In this way, part of the soldiers who formed the first section ordered to enter the water entered the lake. The crossing of the raft took place in daylight, around 9:00 a.m., although the activity of the military had begun hours before, still in the early morning, around 6:00 a.m., with a topography practice and an underground one.

The objectives and how to carry them out were explained, instructions were given, and even a failed test was carried out beforehand before the troops entered the water. In addition, the soldiers entered the water without vests to lighten the weight, according to the sources.

In this regard, a rope had been arranged tied to two holm oaks, a kind of guide that divided the surface of the water by its shortest part - the distance between shore and shore was about a hundred meters - while "there was no lifeline, no ambulance or floats or life preservers to hold on to in case of danger". According to the sources, to add that on the raft "there was no footing".

In this sense, the practice was thwarted a few minutes after the first troops entered the water. In fact, the second company didn't even start the year. The commanders and the rest of the soldiers who were out of the water were the first to help their comrades, who were calling for help from the water, among them, Corporal Miguel Ángel Jiménez Andújar.

Another of the soldiers was rescued from the water in cardiorespiratory arrest. His life was saved by another soldier even before the ambulance arrived, when he performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Some of the personnel who initiated the rescue ended up having to be rescued and treated for hypothermia. The Ministry of Defense removed from command the captain who ordered the exercise hours after the event.

The Two Dead Soldiers

Specifically, soldier Carlos León Rico was about to finish the training required by Defense to join the Army. He had dropped out of law school to join the Army. He had already completed the first two phases of training at the Troop Training Center, number 1, located in Cáceres and a little more than a month and a half ago he had arrived at the Cerro Muriano Base to complete it in the destination unit.

Meanwhile, Corporal Miguel Ángel Jiménez Andújar was married and expecting a child. He had joined the army in 2011 and had two decorations of merit after having participated in the missions in Lebanon and Latvia.

The soldiers are receiving psychological attention and the witnesses of the incident are being called to testify within the preliminary proceedings opened by the Court of Instruction number 4 of Córdoba.

The Jurisdiction

Meanwhile, the Provincial Prosecutor's Office considers that "the military jurisdiction is competent to continue with the investigation" of this case, as reported by the Public Prosecutor's Office in a report sent to the Court of Instruction number 4.

In line with this, the Territorial Military Court number 21, based in Seville, has asked the Court of Instruction to inhibit itself in its favor in this case. The families of both soldiers are involved in the proceedings.

Corporal Miguel Ángel Jiménez Andújar's lawyer believes that the responsibility for the events lies with the lower commands. The lawyer José Antonio Cumplido has expressed that it is "an erroneous approach" to focus on the chain of officers and has defended doing so in that of "the non-commissioned officers, the sergeant or the lieutenant who gave the order and who were the ones who had to take into account that all the security requirements that were not carried out were met".

And the lawyer for the family of soldier Carlos León Rico, Luis Romero, has filed a complaint against the captain responsible for the exercise and his three immediate superiors. Counsel has reported that the complaint is directed against the captain, who was removed from command by the Army as a result of the events; the lieutenant colonel immediately above him, a colonel and a general, with a request that all of them be called as investigated in the judicial proceedings.

The preliminary proceedings, according to the lawyer, revolve around the alleged commission of two crimes of reckless homicide, since both officers drowned in a lake at the base, carrying out a practical exercise.

Robles calls for "maximum transparency"

For her part, the Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, in a visit to the Cerro Muriano military base, has conveyed to the families her "deepest condolences" and "encouragement in these difficult times", while affirming that they are "at their disposal" and "we are going to collaborate with justice without any reservation" in the investigation of the facts. that it is still ongoing, and that it must have "maximum transparency".

Robles stressed this to journalists after holding a meeting with the colleagues of the deceased, to whom he conveyed his condolences and all the support to clarify the facts, stressing that "if there have been mistakes, they have to be known, we owe them to the corporal, the soldier, and their families."

"We want the whole truth of what happened to be clarified," said the defense minister, who urged the colleagues of the deceased that, "when they testify before the judge, they do so without any reservation," so that the judge can make "the corresponding decisions" and say "what really happened."

During her visit, Robles, accompanied by different military commanders, went to the lake where soldier Carlos León Rico and corporal Miguel Ángel Jiménez Andújar drowned, where she laid a "bouquet of flowers in tribute to the deceased," in addition to dedicating a "prayer" and "a minute of silence" to them.

"Take all measures"

For his part, the Chief of Staff of the Army, Army General Amador Enseñat, who accompanied the minister to Cordoba, agreed on the need to "collaborate as much as possible in the investigation" and "take all measures to minimize the risks in the instructions."

In addition, during her visit, the Minister of Defense expressed her appreciation to all the men and women of the Armed Forces and "to those who are part of this brigade that is one of the most modern, powerful and resolute units of the Army, providing their support in missions such as Lebanon or Latvia, where it is scheduled to be deployed in 2024 and early 2025."

The Guzmán el Bueno X Brigade, led by Brigadier General Ignacio Olazábal, was the first Spanish unit to join the Eurocorps and one of the first to take part in foreign operations. Since then, it has participated and continues to participate in peacekeeping missions outside our borders in various theaters such as Bosnia and Iraq.