Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador condemned the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, using it as an example to highlight the risks that migrants often face while working late at night. He expressed his belief that these individuals should not be subjected to mistreatment from certain politicians in the United States, emphasizing the need for compassion and sensitivity towards their plight.
During a recent statement, López Obrador mentioned that Maryland State Police have identified one of the two bodies recovered from the Patapsco River as Alejandro Hernández Fuentes, a 35-year-old man from Mexico.
During a press conference on Wednesday night, Colonel Roland L. Butler Jr., superintendent of Maryland State Police, stated that the current conditions have necessitated a shift from a recovery mode to a salvage operation. This decision was made due to the presence of the superstructure surrounding the vehicles and the substantial amount of concrete and debris. As a result, divers are no longer able to safely navigate or operate in the vicinity of the wreckage.
Four construction workers from Guatemala and El Salvador are believed to have perished in the tragic incident that took place on Tuesday. The disaster occurred when the cargo ship Dali collided with one of the bridge’s pillars, leading to the collapse of the entire structure.
Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, a 38-year-old individual from Azacualpa, a rural mountainous region in northwestern Honduras, has been identified as another victim, as reported by The Associated Press. Maynor was the youngest among his eight siblings.
Sandoval migrated from Honduras to the United States 18 years ago, entering the country illegally. He eventually settled in Maryland and took on various jobs, such as construction and brush clearing, to make a living. Later on, he established a package delivery business in the Baltimore-Washington area, as shared by his brother Martín Suazo Sandoval.
According to Martín Suazo Sandoval, his relative played a crucial role in enabling other family members to travel and obtain visas. He was the main support system and the driving force behind most of the family’s travel plans.
According to his brother, Maynor is a dedicated family man with a wife and two children, aged 17 and 5. Due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, Maynor had to seek alternative employment opportunities. As a result, he joined Brawner Builders, the company responsible for the maintenance of the bridge at the time of its collapse.
According to Martín Suazo Sandoval, Maynor never expressed any fear of the work, even though he had to work at great heights on the bridges. Martín shared that Maynor always emphasized the importance of putting in extra effort to succeed. Maynor believed that the time and location of the job were irrelevant; one should always be present where the work needed to be done.
The cargo ship Dali is shown in this video released by the National Transportation and Safety Board, where it is seen stuck under a section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after colliding with the bridge on Tuesday, March 26, 2024.
According to his brother, the Honduran individual was in the process of acquiring legal residency and had intended to return to his home country later this year to finalize the procedure.
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