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De la Fuente, with wildfire victims in Spain: 'It is a pride and an obligation'
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Disasters & Emergencies

De la Fuente, with wildfire victims in Spain: 'It is a pride and an obligation'

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Context piece
  • Spanish national football coach Luis de la Fuente visited wildfire victims in Las Rozas, Madrid, offering support and solidarity.
  • De la Fuente stated it is both an obligation and a source of pride to be with those affected by the tragic fires.
  • Over 116,000 people have been evacuated or confined due to fires across Spain, with a significant number in Madrid and Ávila.

Spanish national football coach Luis de la Fuente visited wildfire victims in Las Rozas, Madrid, emphasizing his presence as both an obligation and a source of pride. He aimed to offer encouragement to evacuated residents during these tragic times.

"It is everyone's obligation to help and encourage them in these tragic moments," de la Fuente told Spanish public television (RTVE). He stressed the importance of making these individuals feel supported and close to the rest of Spain. The coach, who recently led Spain to a World Cup victory, believes his way of helping is by sharing in their pain to bring them some comfort and cheer.

It is everyone's obligation to help and encourage them in these tragic moments.

— Luis de la FuenteSpeaking about his visit to wildfire victims.

"What one aims for is to try to make people happy, to bring joy, even for a few hours, to those who are going through such a difficult time," he explained, adding, "it is a pride to be here." De la Fuente highlighted that such moments "make us more human" and are a time to prioritize human lives above all else. He drew a parallel between the support Spain receives in football and the support the nation is offering to those affected by the fires.

What one aims for is to try to make people happy, to bring joy, even for a few hours, to those who are going through such a difficult time.

— Luis de la FuenteExplaining his motivation for visiting the affected families.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has also offered its official residence in Las Rozas to house vulnerable families displaced by the fires. "We have enjoyed a pleasant, very affectionate time with families and children, trying to help in any way we can," de la Fuente added.

Currently, over 116,000 people have been evacuated or confined across Spain due to numerous fires. Madrid and Ávila account for approximately 100,000 of these, while another 16,000 were evacuated in the province of Castellón. The situation remains critical in central Spain, where the government declared a national emergency in three contiguous provinces and deployed extensive resources from the military, security forces, and Civil Protection, supplemented by regional teams and international aid.

We have enjoyed a pleasant, very affectionate time with families and children, trying to help in any way we can.

— Luis de la FuenteDescribing his interaction with evacuees.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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