Mexico is currently living one of the worst natural disasters to hit the country in years. Mexican newspaper Milenio [es] [1]confirmed that in two states affected by flooding, Veracruz [2] and Tabasco [3], more than 25 thousand people had to evacuate their homes, as the “Temazcal” and “Cerro de Oro” dams could soon overflow because of expected heavy rainfalls.
Twitter users have commented on the cruel situation their homeland is experiencing, like Marisol Montúfar (@hereismarisol), who wrote [es] [4]:
Viviendo sentimentos encontrados, amo la lluvia pero es una verdadera pena lo que esta pasando en #Tlacotalpan [5]
NicteTapiaKim (@NicteTapiaKim) compares [es] [6]the situation to Haiti's earthquake:
Cuando lo de Haiti, camiones y camiones llenos de ayuda, y ahora que nosotros la necesitamos no hay!!! #veracruz [7] #lluvias [8] #inundacion [9]
According to the News Agency Prensa Latina [es] [10], the economic losses are worst than expected: “Mexican authorities report millionaire losses caused by rain floods, 25 municipalities in the State of Veracruz will need at least 131 million dollars in order to repair their damaged infrastructure.”
Last week, to show solidarity and under the pressure of a spontaneous and insistent crowd, President Felipe Calderón walked through Tlacotalpan, Veracruz [11], touring about one kilometer across the water and the flooded streets. According to El Universal [es] [12], in the streets the water level reached between 1 to 1.5 meters.
[13]Mexican President Felipe Calderon walking through the flooded streets in Veracruz, Mexico. Photo by Flickr user Gobierno Federal, under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAline 2.0 Generic Creative Commons license
On Twitter, Caderon's visit caused a discussion as well. Manuel (@mdgo80) informed [es]: [14]
Dicen que el agua en #Veracruz [15] no supera los 30 cms, lo midieron con las rodillas de #Calderón [16]
Some users are skeptical, as they believe Calderón was posing for the press rather than showing solidarity by walking through the flooded streets. Mario Vázquez (@MMarioVazquez) wrote [es] [17]:
¿A que fué Felipe Calderon a Veracruz? R= a tomarse la foto
But Pachicle (@Pachicle) has a different perspective [es] [18]:
Esta Enderezando el Rumbo Calderon, Agarra a la Barbie y se Mete al Agua en Veracruz a las Calles Inundadas, No Kiere Perder la Presidencia