We're ready for the moment they tell us to go: Sheinbaum awaits call from Colombia
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
Mexico has prepared a contingent of 255 military personnel specialized in search and rescue, along with tons of medications, food, and equipment to deploy to Colombia as soon as it receives a formal request for assistance from the Colombian government following the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that occurred on Monday, leaving hundreds dead and injured. Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, Secretary of Defense, explained during a presidential press conference that the Army activated the so-called 'Agrupamiento Cali,' which 'would be a grouping very similar to the one that supported Venezuela.' The contingent will be led by a general and will include specialists in search and rescue, canine teams, and medical personnel. The operation also includes the shipment of four tons of medications and 8.4 tons of rescue tools and equipment, as well as satellite phones, radios, generators, and tents. The Defense Secretary specified that Mexico is ready to ship 8,798 food packages and 13,890 food baskets, in addition to medical aid. The plan from the Secretariat of National Defense (Defensa) is to transport personnel and some materials on two Boeing aircraft, while the rest of the humanitarian aid would travel on a Hercules C-130 and a Spartan from the Mexican Air Force. The planned destination is Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport, which serves the Colombian city of Cali. However, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum clarified that the deployment still depends on an official request from Colombian authorities. 'We are waiting for the formal request from the government of Colombia; we are ready for the moment they tell us to go help,' the president stated. The preparation of the contingent comes after Sheinbaum instructed the Mexican Armed Forces to prepare personnel and resources to support Colombia, as part of Mexico's humanitarian assistance policy in response to emergencies in other Latin American countries. The Mexican government has previously relied on specialized military teams to provide international aid in disasters and emergencies through search, rescue, medical care, and supply distribution contingents. Trevilla indicated that the 'Agrupamiento Cali' would have similar characteristics to the contingent previously deployed to provide humanitarian assistance in Venezuela and affirmed that all personnel and supplies are ready to leave once Colombia formalizes the request for support. The earthquake in Colombia, which has claimed at least 240 lives so far, struck at 07:34 local time (12:34 GMT), had its epicenter in the municipality of San José del Palmar in the Chocó department, at a depth of 103 kilometers, and caused damage across much of the central and western parts of the country. Pereira, Cali, Quibdó, Manizales, and Armenia are the main cities that remain on red alert due to the extent of the damage, with at least 165 buildings reported collapsed.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
