Armando G. Tejeda

Correspondent

La Jornada Newspaper
Friday, November 22, 2024, p. 24

Madrid. A group of 12 rescuers from the Topos Aztecas, a group that was born as a result of the 1985 earthquake in Mexico City and that since then has traveled the world helping in areas devastated by natural disasters, are in Valencia helping to search for missing people among the immense tangle of destroyed cars and houses, in towns and roads buried under thousands of tons of mud that devastated the High Isolated Depression (DANA) last October 29.

When you are in a place like this, with so much destruction around you, but also with so much solidarity to help and relieve those most affected, in the end your body belongs to that collective spirit and from there comes the strength to work non-stop for days on end. 12 hoursexplained Héctor Méndez, the major mole and who they call The Chinesewho at 78 years old has seen many similar scenarios.

The 12 Mexican brigades arrived in Valencia on November 5, on a flight financed entirely by the Iberia airline, as this group of specialized rescuers, which is perhaps one of the most experienced teams in large-scale accidents, is supported by donations and aid. .

Once in Valencia, eight other volunteers joined, some already experienced and others who were trained on the spot, among them four young people from Barcelona and the Canary Islands.

The Aztec Moles, with their orange uniform, carry a light immediate response team, which includes ropes, pickaxes, shovels, hammers, axes, electric saws, oxygen tanks, stretchers and some bamboo sticks that, in the case of Valencia, are used to drill through the mud and look for signs of buried people.

In interview with The DayHéctor Méndez explained: We look for people with their names and surnames, that is why we are always in contact with a family member, because we want them to not go through the trance of having to look for their loved ones and that is where we come in..

This group of Mexican rescuers has gained international prestige over the years and for their interventions in natural disasters in the most inhospitable corners of the planet. Hence, they also have certification from international organizations such as the UN International Search and Rescue Operations Advisory Group.

This is a life mission that I have been on for almost 50 years. I have seen seven presidents of the Republic pass through Mexico, sometimes they have supported us, other times not, for example President López Obrador helped us a lot to go to the Indonesian tsunami, but on this occasion we came to Spain without support from the government, in fact we did not even ask for it due to the urgency of the operationhe explained The Chinese.

Location of the brothers Rubén and Izán

During their stay in Valencia, the group of Topos Aztecas participated in one of the toughest searches for the tragedy caused by the torrential rains and which to date has left 219 dead, 15 missing and tens of thousands of victims: that of the brothers Rubén and Izán, two children aged three and five who were swept away by the flood after a heavy truck crashed into their home and partially destroyed it, causing that the water entered violently.

Their father tried to save them, but the force of the water ripped them out of his hands. “That search touched me especially because it made me relive an almost identical misfortune in Mexico, in Guerrero, on April 4, 2004, in which they also searched and found two brothers, ages three and five, dead, one of them also His name was Ruben. These things motivate one to work tirelessly, not to stop, but we are also very inspired by the involvement of the young Spanish volunteers, who are working very hard. They are an exampleMendez described.

The group of Mexican rescuers begins their day at 9 in the morning, which is when they are already dressed and have had breakfast to enter the mud, cars, remains of houses and buildings, to find some clue that will lead them to the whereabouts of the people who they search.

Sometimes night falls and they find nothing. Other days there is luck, thanks to his way of tracking and his experience. Even if it is to have given some relief to their families, that alone has made all this effort worth it.said The Chinesewho at his age is always the first to get up and the last to fall asleep; for a reason he is major mole.