Topos Azteca leader confronts Colombian journalist over rescue permits

Héctor Méndez, leader of the Mexican rescue brigade Topos Azteca, engaged in a tense verbal confrontation with Colombian journalist Néstor Morales during a radio interview. The dispute arose when Morales questioned whether the group had official government authorization to participate in rescue operations following a 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Colombia.

Méndez defended the group’s presence in Cali, stating that they are volunteers motivated by duty rather than diplomatic protocols. He criticized the line of questioning as an attempt to create a political trap, telling the journalist, “Vámonos respetando, vámonos ubicando” (Let’s be respectful, let’s be aware), before ending the call.

While Morales maintained that inquiring about official permits was necessary to understand the legal conditions of the foreign rescuers' operations, the exchange sparked significant debate on social media. Opinions were divided between those criticizing the journalist for questioning volunteers during a crisis and those questioning the legality of the brigade's unauthorized entry into the country.