Mexico says Colombia blocks rescue team after devastating earthquake

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said Colombia has prevented a Mexican rescue team from entering the country to help search for survivors of the devastating August 10 earthquake, raising questions over Bogotá’s handling of international assistance.

Sheinbaum said on August 13 that she had initially been told the Mexican military rescue team had travelled to Colombia, but was informed the following day that it had not entered the country., Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

“Colombia requested a certification. They are certified, but now they are asking for another certification,” Sheinbaum told reporters.

Mexico has continued providing other assistance, including food and medical supplies. Colombian Foreign Minister Omar Bula said on August 12 that Colombia had accepted 58.5 tonnes of aid from Mexico and that a flight carrying humanitarian assistance was due to arrive that day.

The dispute comes as Colombia’s new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, faces accusations that his administration has restricted rescue teams from countries led by left-wing governments. His government has denied the allegations.

“We have not excluded any country whatsoever in terms of the offers they have made to us,” Bula said. “We work with countries without any ideological or political considerations.”

David Santiago Tamayo, director of Colombia’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management, said the government was formalising assistance from rescue teams from the United States, El Salvador, Ecuador and Israel.

The earthquake has placed additional pressure on the new administration as rescue and relief operations continue across affected areas.

By Sabina Mammadli