Los Topos - Mexican Mole Men, on their way to Haiti

[Xipe Totec]

While three Mexican military planes are on their way to Haiti with 15 tons of relief supplies, and two naval ships — the Huasteco and the Papaloapan — are steaming towards the disaster-struck nation, a special shout-out should be given to an unexpected good Samaritan, PRI Federal Deputy Francisco Rojas.

Rojas has convinced his fellow PRI Deputies to chip in to pay the airfare for probably the best — and most needed — resource Mexico can offer it’s sister Republic: la Brigada Internacional de Rescate Tlaltelolco-Azteca, the Mole Men of Tlaltelolco.


A spontaneous response to Mexico City’s own tragic earthquake of 19 September 1985, the Brigada’s nucleus were residents of Tlatelolco who — when several apartment buildings collapsed — and the PRI controlled government was either too paralyzed or inept to act — took it upon themselves to rescue their trapped neighbors. While the original crew included some, like sewer workers, who had the special skills useful for the dangerous work of digging though unstable rubble, many relied on a very tough on-the-job training program.

In the years since, the Mole Men — all volunteers who are willing to walk off their jobs and risk their lives for complete strangers anywhere in the world where natural disasters strike — have become one of, if not THE, most respected search and rescue teams in the world. After the Christmas Tsuami of 2004, German airline Lufthansa provided free transport to the Mole Men from Mexico City to Indonesia, where an Australian Air Force plane (and crew) was put at their disposal


http://mexfiles.net/2010/01/14/los-topos-to-haiti/

[frebrd]

1. K&R! n/t

[proud patriot]

2. God speed

[peacetalksforall]

3. Fabulous. I thrilled to have learned about them. My eyes and heart are full of tears

of pride.

[snagglepuss]

4. I second that. nt

[flamingdem]

18. +1

[sonias]

5. Awesome

I love these guys! Bless them and may they be very successful in Haiti where they are so badly needed.

:loveya: la Brigada Internacional de Rescate Tlaltelolco-Azteca

Sonia

[Xipe Totec]

6. A big thank you as well to the NY, FL, and CA Search and Rescue Teams

:applause:


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4229085

[sonias]

7. Yes

Everyone who is helping in this effort is a wonderful human being. And may they find comfort in the help they provide.

:applause::applause:

Sonia

[bertman]

8. Great story. Thanks, Xipe Topec. Rec

[a la izquierda]

9. Thank you to these heroes from my second home...

[ThomCat]

10. Good luck to them.

:)

[Melissa G]

11. Prayers for the rescue workers and those they are trying to save

[Vidar]

12. K&R.

[RedRoses323]

13. Fantastic!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[Soylent Brice]

14. K&R

[Skittles]

15. THANK YOU MEXICO!!

:thumbsup:

[Xipe Totec]

16. Thank you, Tlatelolco, and the other barrios of Mexico City

Thank you, to the blue collar workers, the union workers, and the plain ordinary people of Mexico, who understand what it means to be one of US; the salt and spice of the earth.

[Judi Lynn]

17. So glad to read your information, and hear about these people for the first time.

So sorry I didn't ever know about them earlier.

May their courageous, heroic efforts also be safe for them, and successful. It's rare enough finding people of their quality, and they need to be protected.

Best wishes to "Mole Men". They are bigger than other people inwardly.

Thank you, Xipe Totec.

[Xipe Totec]

19. Update on The Topos in Haiti

Los Topos have been in Haiti, involved in the rescue of 15 live victims, so far, after the magnitude 6.1 earthquake that devastated that country last week.



Oscar Oliva was one of the rescue workers who saved 69 year-old Ena Zizi who was trapped alive under Haiti’s Roman Catholic cathedral for eight days. Before he left, he told the press that Los Topos work with picks, shovels and a lot of heart.



Leopoldo was in charge of Sombra, one of Los Topos rescue dogs who first located Ena Zizi in that miraculous rescue, eight days after the earthquake in Haiti trapped her. Leopoldo told Radio W in Mexico that the feeling of finding her alive was like that of his children being born.


http://guanabee.com/2010/01/los-topos-de-mexico/