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Topo Mayor Héctor ‘Chino’ Méndez, leader of the Mexican rescue brigade Topos Azteca, was involved in a tense verbal exchange with Colombian journalist Néstor Morales of the Blu Radio station, after the reporter questioned his entry into the country without official government authorization to participate in search and rescue efforts following the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck the country last Monday.
What happened? Did the Topo Mayor fight with the broadcaster? Below, we tell you everything that happened regarding the arrival of the Mexican rescuers to the disaster zones of the earthquake, which has left more than 260 dead according to the latest reports.
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After the civil organization arrived in Colombia to support the efforts, the Topo Mayor gave an interview to Blu Radio via a phone call, where the host questioned him for having arrived in the country without government authorization and highlighted that organizations like the Topos Azteca are mandatorily required to have permits and official coordination from the government to perform their work.
Morales insistently asked: “How many 'topos' like you arrived in Cali (...)? Did you arrive coordinated and authorized by the national government?”
Faced with this, the Topo Mayor firmly replied that they were not doing political work, as the members of the rescue organization are not politicians or diplomats, but rather people dedicated to helping others in disasters like the earthquake that occurred a few days ago.
“We are volunteers and we answer the call of duty. We are not diplomats, we do not ask for permits; we go where duty calls us. If I start following bureaucratic administrative protocols, I never go anywhere,” the 80-year-old noted.
He added that his questions regarding their arrival in Colombia without authorization were getting him into a “mess” and a “trap.” After the argument and after clarifying his intentions in the country along with the Topos Azteca, Hernández ended the call.
“You want to get me into a mess (...) It’s like you want to set a trap for me. Please, let’s have some respect, let’s get things in perspective; we are volunteers and we came here to work,” the Topo replied.
The exchange of words during the live broadcast quickly generated controversy on social media, where conflicting positions emerged regarding the presence of the Topos Azteca in Colombia.
While some users defended the Mexican rescuers and highlighted their willingness to help the community selflessly after the earthquake, others joined in the criticism and questioned why a foreign search and rescue team arrived in the country.
It is worth noting that government permits have been a topic of conversation since Wednesday, as the Colombian government established limitations on receiving international support amidst the emergency.
As reported, David Santiago Tamayo Roldán, director of the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD), informed that Colombia would only receive search and rescue aid from countries such as the United States, Israel, Ecuador, and El Salvador, leaving Mexico outside of said authorizations.
[Publicidad]