I was a general in South America

"Victory belongs to Colombia."

Upon hearing the pre-war declaration on television, even the whispers in front of the grocery store quieted down.

This isn't just about live-streaming a drug bust; can we understand what Lucas said...?

Declaring war on drug cartels in front of the entire nation...?

Who is the largest drug trafficking organization in Colombia?

Aside from those who are mentally unstable, even beggars on the street know it's the Medellín Group...

Where is this place?

Envigado...the hometown of Pablo Escobar.

Oppose?

Most people know that what was said is true...

support?

Everything in Envigado—the houses they live in, their jobs, even the safety of going out at night—was given to them by Pablo Escobar.

Silence itself is the answer.

Many people began to envision the scenario Lucas described, while others looked at him with disdain, as if he were a madman, muttering under their breath that he would be killed by drug dealers sooner or later.

They yearn for the life of their dreams, yet cannot bear to part with everything the drug cartel has given them.

Don't they know who Pablo is?

They just don't want to know.

Magical yet realistic...

This is true not only in Envigado, but throughout Colombia.

"Victory belongs to Colombia...! Victory will ultimately belong to Colombia...!"

Everyone turned around. The little boy broke free from his mother's embrace, raising his small fist... his gaze was firm as if he were making a vow.

......

"Diana, my men will launch an attack on the villa ahead of time. Once the operation is over, I will notify you, and then you can bring your team to the site."

After the interview, the live stream camera focused on a wide shot.

To put it bluntly, this operation was Lucas's way of flexing his muscles and giving the Colombian people, who have long been oppressed by drug cartels, a little shock.

Unfortunately, the opponent was too weak, so they could only offer some superficial packaging.

Therefore, the live streaming team will not follow the troops to witness the battle.

What's so interesting about murder?

Later, we'll use heavy firepower to clear out the area around the villa first, and then the combined effect of the entire army charging in will be amazing.

As for wasting ammunition, well, it's the American financiers who foot the bill anyway...!

Diana nodded: "According to pre-battle intelligence, Ronan Einar's secret villa doesn't have many guards, so wouldn't it be more suitable to capture him...?"

The female host was no mere figurehead; upon hearing Lucas's instructions, she knew that the objective was to capture Ronan Einar alive.

Because of the filming requirements, she also participated in the meeting, so she asked the question that had been bothering her.

"The Colombian people need a resounding victory!" Lucas said firmly, his reasons were compelling.

It's not like they're arresting Pablo Escobar or Ronan, a second-rate drug dealer. A firepower show would be far more exciting.

At the same time, he pointed to the Hummer parked in the blind spot of the camera: "When they capture Alex Einar, this is the footage you can take."

"A declaration of war without bloodshed cannot ignite the fighting spirit."

Of course, Lucas wouldn't tell Diana...

The most important reason is that, having said he would kill Ronan Einar's entire family, he was determined to ensure that Ronan Einar's family was completely wiped out.

A declaration of war without bloodshed cannot ignite a fighting spirit...

Diana repeated it to herself, as a Christian she didn't quite agree with Lucas's idea. Criminals should be tried in court so that their crimes can be made public.

But one has to admit that what the other party said was very convincing.

The Colombian government has been suppressed for too long, and the influence of drug cartels is too great. A powerful military operation would be far more helpful to the fight against drugs than the trial of an ordinary drug lord.

.......

Just as Lucas was making his final preparations before the big show...

Not only were viewers watching Manizales on television, but also on the top floor of the National Assembly building in Bogotá.

President Besario Quartas sat at the head of the spacious conference room, with six generals from the National Military Council seated on his left and right sides in order.

On the large screen in front of me, footage from Colombian national television was playing.

The fact that the live-streaming approval process was so quick was not solely due to Diana's connections.

Because there is no precedent for live-streaming military operations, especially given the sensitive subject of drug enforcement... if problems arise, it would be a huge loss to the credibility of the military and the government.

When this proposal was presented to Besario, he was also quite shocked...

Lucas Bolívar Franco, a familiar name. After the government joined forces with the U.S. Southern Command to form a force, his troops were among the first to achieve significant results.

Naturally, it was included in the list of key targets for investigation.

In particular, the young officer's speech in front of the media pleased Besario greatly.

As a hawk who supported the purge of Medellin, the establishment of the Rapid Reaction Force was inseparable from his impetus.

I never expected that the young man I had high hopes for would go so crazy this time...!

"Mr. President, I think it's still too risky. I'm not against your decision, but if the operation fails, we may have to face accountability from Congress."

A voice rang out in the conference room. Besario nodded and then explained, "Yesterday, negotiations with Pablo Escobar broke down. He demanded that the government halt extradition treaty negotiations and clarify the Medellín Group's position."

"The Southern Command cannot accept this condition, nor can we... This means all my efforts have been in vain, and it will be very difficult to send Pablo back to prison."

"The rapid reaction force has been unable to break through the situation, and what cannot be obtained on the battlefield cannot be obtained at the negotiating table. This is the reason why I signed the presidential decree."

As president, Besario faces far more pressure than others, having to balance various interests while pushing forward the war on drugs.

This is too difficult!

Pablo's influence was deeply entrenched domestically, and his political connections permeated every aspect of the power structure.

Refusing American aid would prevent the government from securing military assistance, doubling the difficulty of waging the war on drugs.

I agree. On the one hand, we need to consider further US intervention in Colombia, and on the other hand, we need to face impeachment by anti-American factions in parliament.

And then there's the CIA, always ready to cause trouble, and anti-government forces...!

Like a Möbius strip, there are countless obstacles no matter which way you go.

So at the last moment, Besario decided to support the young officer, who was needed to break this endless cycle.

Lucas's madness in Manizales struck a chord deep within him... How he longed to do the same, to wipe out those insects in the council completely! "What about contingency plans for failure?"

After Besario finished explaining, the meeting room seemed to fall into deep thought, the generals expressionless, seemingly lost in their own thoughts.

After a while, someone spoke up: "What's the contingency plan if it fails? We know Lucas's background very well; he was recommended by Samuel. Should we notify him?"

"There is no contingency plan. If it fails, Lucas and Samuel will be sent to a military court."

Besario's words were like the final gavel at an auction, and the meeting room fell silent once more.