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Rescuer 'El Topo de La Guaira' disappears after denouncing lack of support post-earthquakes
🇲🇽 Mexico /Disasters & Emergencies

Rescuer 'El Topo de La Guaira' disappears after denouncing lack of support post-earthquakes

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Rescuer Wilmer Antonio Cruz, known as 'El Topo de La Guaira,' has disappeared after being detained by Venezuelan police.
  • Cruz recently denounced a lack of equipment and support for rescue efforts following earthquakes in La Guaira.
  • A human rights organization is demanding information on his whereabouts and holding the Venezuelan state responsible for his safety.

Wilmer Antonio Cruz, a rescuer celebrated for saving at least 60 lives after recent earthquakes in Venezuela, has vanished. Known as 'El Topo de La Guaira' (The Mole of La Guaira), Cruz was reportedly detained by National Bolivarian Police officers on Wednesday night in the coastal state of La Guaira. His disappearance has been flagged by his associates, who highlighted his recent public complaints about insufficient machinery and equipment for rescue operations in the earthquake-stricken region. The NGO Un Mundo Sin Mordaza shared on Instagram that Cruz had stressed that many lives could be saved with adequate support. The organization is demanding information about Cruz's location and holds the Venezuelan state accountable for his physical integrity. They stated that someone dedicated to saving others and recovering victims' bodies should not become a victim themselves.

DistantNews Editorial

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

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