Highly trained rescue dogs from Mexico are in Turkey to assist with the search and rescue efforts after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria on Monday (February 6). Nearly 8,000 people are confirmed dead and tens of thousands are injured. Many others are reported missing.
According to BBC, 16 dogs and their handlers, some of which became famous in Mexico after their country’s 2017 earthquake, were on a plane by Tuesday (February 7) to help locate and save people from the rubble. Four of the dogs that are now in Turkey are Rex, July, Orly, and Balam. Anneth López Villafaña is July’s handler, while Ángel Daniel Hernández is accompanying Rex, a German Shepherd, on the rescue trip. Rex and July are part of the civilian team from the Red Cross. Orly and Balam are two dogs from the Mexican Navy.
According to the BBC, dogs like Rex and July are often used to search areas where heavy machinery is too dangerous to use. The dogs are trained to find humans through their sense of smell and will bark and scratch the ground to alert their handlers when they smell something.
In 2017, Frida, a yellow Labrador Retriever, became famous when a video of her searching for survivors in Mexico City while wearing custom-made protective goggles and boots went viral. Frida retired in 2019. She died of natural causes late last year.
A photo of Frida now adorns the uniforms of many of the rescuers now in Turkey.
Much love to the Mexico rescue dogs and their handlers as they help in the efforts in Turkey.
Frida the Rescue Dog Honored With Statue for Heroic Work After Mexico’s Earthquake
When Mexico was hit with back-to-back earthquakes in September, Frida the rescue dog became a symbol of hope. The 7-year-old Marina labrador – who wore protective goggles and specialized blue booties – saved 12 people from the rubble last year. Her name soon dominated the news cycle, and by November, she had received the Pagés Llergo prize for her work during the rescue efforts. Now, the heroic canine has one more honor: a statue in her likeness in Puebla.
The sculpture was unveiled on July 19 at the Parque Ecológico. The placard reads, “Memorable symbols of the strength that Mexicans can have when we decide to unite for a greater cause.” Her trainer, Israel Arauz, is also immortalized in bronze.
Check out images of the ceremony and statue below:
WATCH: Chilaquil, a Golden Retriever in Mexico, Is Going Viral Due to Hilarious Voice-Overs
AGolden Retriever living in Mexico named Chilaquil has been keeping people entertained on TikTok since the start of 2023. In only about five weeks, Chilaquil, who is originally from Toronto, has racked up more than 589,000 followers on the platform and millions of views.
Chilaquil’s first video was posted on January 3 where his owner explained that Chilaquil was recovering from canine parvovirus. In the video, one of his owners is giving him a bath in a big tub outside. She then cuddles with him while lying on a hammock.
There are other videos of Chilaquil doing things like visiting a dog park, going on nature walks, and watching his “Tia Jackie” eat tacos. But his videos really started getting popular when his owners narrated what he was “saying.” In one, Chilaquil reveals that his mom is half Mexican and half Colombian and his dad is Brazilian, and that they moved from Canada to Mexico.
“I was like, ‘That’s a lot of pressure. I only speak English,’” he says in the video. “But I’m gonna try. As long as they cuddle me all the time, I’ll be OK.”
In another video, he visits his abuelitos, Arturo and Anita, who are always happy to see him. “[My abuelita] started giving me the best cuddles, and then she started cooking for me and my mom,” Chilaquil says. “Her food is the best.”
So far, Chilaquil’s most watched video features him and his mom and dad going camping in a cabin in the woods. It was posted on January 24 and has received six million views so far. In the video, Chilaquil tells his fans about some of the things he did while in the great outdoors like look for wood to start a fire.
“I was like, ‘Mamita, can you please turn on the heater?’ and she was like, ‘Ay, no, Chilaquil. You can’t turn on the heater in the woods.’”
Chilaquil should invite us on a vacation next time. We give good cuddles, too.
Mexico Mourns Death of Proteo, a Rescue Dog Saving Lives in Turkey
It’s being reported that Proteo, a German shepherd from Mexico who was sent to Turkey to help with earthquake relief efforts, died while performing his duties as a rescue dog.
“Thank you [Proteo] for your heroic work,” the account for Mexico’s Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA) reads. “You accomplished the mission.”
Proteo was one of the search and rescue dogs sent with soldiers from SEDENA to find survivors of the earthquake. “The members of the Mexican Army and Air Force profoundly regret the loss of our great team member, the dog Proteo,” SEDENA said in a statement.
SEDENA also posted comments on its TikTok page from one of the soldiers who worked with Proteo during the rescue mission.
“I want to tell you that I am proud of you because you were always a strong dog, a hardworking dog that never gave up,” the soldier said. “I’ll always remember you. I hope that all of Mexico will never forget you. We’ll see each other again someday.”
A representative for the Mexican Red Cross said that Proteo died during a collapse of a structure that he went into to search for victims.
In 2017, a yellow Labrador Retriever from Mexico named Frida went viral after a video showed her searching for survivors of an earthquake in Mexico City while wearing custom-made protective goggles and boots. Frida retired in 2019. She died of natural causes late last year.
Rest easy, Proteo.
Meet Catherine Cortez Masto, the Candidate Who Could Become the First-Ever Latina Senator
With only two weeks before Election Day, politicians nationwide are jockeying for position and making their closing arguments to voters on why they should elect them into office.
In case the possibility of electing Hillary Clinton the nation’s first woman president isn’t momentous enough, voters in Nevada have a chance to make even more history if they elect former Attorney General of Nevada and Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto. She and her opponent, Republican Congressman Joe Heck, are both vying for the open seat left behind by retiring US Senate Majority leader Harry Reid.
If things go her way Nov. 8, Cortez Masto will be the first Latina ever elected to the US Senate. Currently, the race looks like a tight one, with Cortez Masto holding a slight two-point lead over Heck based on the average of polls at Real Clear Politics.
During a phone interview with Remezcla last week, Cortez Masto, 52, talked to us about why she wants her next role in government to be as a member of the US Senate, what issues are most important to Latinos in Nevada, and how she feels the race at the top of the ticket between Clinton and Donald Trump is affecting her own campaign.
On when she knew she wanted to devote her life to politics
It was when I decided I needed to fight for some of our families and people in Nevada on certain issues. We were dealing with a methamphetamine crisis in the state and we needed leadership. We were dealing with domestic violence all over the state. For me, those are areas—particularly when it comes to domestic violence prevention and sexual assault—that I had worked in before. I thought it was time to step up and take a leadership role and steer the ship to bring attention to those issues and find solutions to the problems. That’s when I decided to run for Attorney General for the first time in 2006.
On deciding the US Senate was the place she wanted to serve next
For me, it would allow me to continue to fight for the people in the state on so many issues, like the economy and passing comprehensive immigration reform and fighting for an education system that benefits our kids. During my time as Attorney General, there were other places where people wanted me to run for office, but I was working on so many important issues for the state at the time, including trying to pass laws against the sexual exploitation of our children and stopping sex trafficking in Nevada, and doing more to protect our seniors from exploitation and fraud. I felt like I needed to finish what I started. When Senator Reid announced his retirement, I started to seriously consider [running for the U.S. Senate] and continue to fight for Nevadans across the state and take on some national issues. With the support of my family, Senator Reid and so many incredible people across the state, that’s what I’ve been doing full time.
On how she is going to help bridge the gap in Congress between Democrats and Republicans
People are frustrated. They look at Washington see that nobody is working together. There is a lot of partisan bickering. Working with Republicans is something I always did as Attorney General. I introduced legislation in the state, over 40 bills, that passed with support from Democrats and Republicans. I don’t think compromise is a bad word. I have a proven record in solving problems in a bipartisan manner. I think that is what Washington is missing. It’s about building relationships and focusing on how we can solve problems we know people are dealing with across this country.
On issues that concern Latino Nevadans the most
Just sitting and talking with business owners and the faith-based community and working families and Dreamers and kids, one of the things that is important to them is having comprehensive immigration reform. That is something that is personal to me. My grandfather came from Chihuahua, Mexico. He crossed the Rio Grande, served in the military and became a U.S. citizen. My father was born in Las Cruces, New Mexico and my grandparents brought the family to Las Vegas to live the American Dream—to work hard so your kids can have more than what you have. It’s about the economy and jobs and ensuring people have a wage they can live on. We’re working on a future for everyone and we’re bringing families out of the shadows. Passing comprehensive immigration reform in this country not only keeps families together, but it’s also good for the economy.
On the possibility of becoming the first Latina to ever serve in the U.S. Senate
It would be incredible to make history, but at the end of the day the most important thing for me would be to have a voice at the table to get things done and bring a different perspective that is needed. We need more diversity in Congress and the US Senate. It’s incredible to me that we are now, for the first time, just electing a Latina US Senator. I’ve always felt, particularly as the Attorney General of the state, that the people that served in my office should be just as diverse as the community we are representing. I think that should be true of Congress. For me, it’s important to be a voice at that table as a Latina.
On her Republican opponent Congressman Joe Heck denouncing Donald Trump only after the 2005 video leak
This is a clear example of somebody who has put his party above the interests of the people in the state of Nevada. Congressman Heck has been supporting Donald Trump for nine months. He had high hopes that Donald Trump would be president. He had no concerns that Donald Trump would have his finger on the nuclear button. Now, after nine months, he’s decided he’s not going to support him anymore? That’s not leadership. It’s clear Congressman Heck is trying to save his political career because his candidate is self-imploding. That’s a clear contrast between the two of us. I will never and have never put party interest above the interests of people of this state or this country.
On how she felt as a Latina when she first heard what Donald Trump said about women on that leaked Access Hollywood video
I was offended. I was an Attorney General who fought for sexual assault prevention. We fought against domestic violence and sexual exploitation. I think what Donald Trump said was completely offensive and disgusting. Anybody who supports Donald Trump to be the president should be concerned about who he truly is and what he stands for. It’s not just this one incident. We’ve had nine months of Donald Trump attacks. This isn’t something new. That’s why it’s astounding to me that Congressman Heck all of a sudden decides he’s not going to support him after we’ve seen the long history and pattern of who Donald Trump really is.
On what she thinks Latino voter turnout will be like Election Day
In Nevada, the Hispanic population is about 27.5 percent. We anticipate there is going to be a high turnout for this election cycle. Let me tell you why: Because we have somebody who is running at the top of the ticket, Donald Trump, who has attacked Mexicans and called them criminals and drug dealers and is more focused on getting elected than on the issues of Latinos in this state. The first meeting Hillary Clinton had in Nevada was with members of the Hispanic community. Latinos are going to come out and vote this election cycle. What I’ve also seen that I’ve never seen before is many legal residents who have applied for citizenship in Nevada because they want to vote in November against Donald Trump. Voters in the Latino community will turn out because they know what’s at stake.
José R. Ralat on How He Became the US’s First Taco Editor & Why Burritos Are Tacos
Photo by Uta Gleiser / EyeEm
“If you’ve ever wanted to look into the face of God, eat a taco.” That’s how food journalist José R. Ralat described Dallas’ taco scene for D Magazine.
If savoring a taco al pastor on corn with cilantro, onions, salsa verde and a little lime juice can really be a religious experience, maybe the editors at Texas Monthly, who recently named Ralat as the magazine’s (and the country’s) first-ever taco editor, gave him the wrong title. Instead, his byline should include the words taco disciple.
“The generalization is that everything will eventually end up in a tortilla,” Ralat tells Remezcla in a recent interview. “Tortillas are not only vessels; they are also utensils.”
“Tortillas are not only vessels; they are also utensils.”
Even before landing this gig with Texas Monthly, Ralat’s taco-tasting crusade began nearly a decade ago when he started writing about tacos for the Dallas Observer. His weekly blog, The Taco Trail, which he would later develop into a website, took him to taquerias all over the Dallas area.
During this time, Ralat also freelanced for Cowboys & Indians Magazine as their food and drink editor. In 2015, he co-edited Texas Monthly’s December cover story, “120 Tacos You Must Eat Before You Die,” an assignment that afforded Ralat the opportunity to visit 10 Texas cities and eat nearly 400 tacos.
“That does not include double orders or return visits,” Ralat says, proudly.
Four years later, the magazine asked Ralat to start writing a taco column. But Ralat countered their offer with a whole new staff position. Since the publication already had a barbecue editor and he considers barbecue more of a “destination food,” he thought it only made sense to create a taco editor role. Texans, he says, eat Mexican food every day.
“Everyone eats tacos,” Ralat adds. “And if we’re talking about corn tortillas, then we’re talking about the foundation of Mexican culture and identity.”
It’s a culture Ralat admits he was “adopted into” by his wife since he is of Puerto Rican heritage. He jokingly blames her for his taste buds tingling every time he sees a taco.
“Early in our relationship, she made me breakfast tacos,” he says. “They were just simple ones – chorizo and egg with cheese – and they blew my mind. I like to say those chorizo and egg tacos were the reason I fell in love with her.”
Ralat, however, adds that his love for tacos might have come even earlier in his life. His mother recently told him that one of the first solid foods she fed him as a baby was a pan-fried taco dorado de picadillo.
“I don’t know if that means anything, but it’s a fact,” he says.
What he also considers a fact is something he told The New Yorker during an interview when he landed his new job, which caused a little controversy among foodies nationwide. He told the publication that burritos should be considered tacos.
“What do you think the best way to eat a taco is?”
“That should not be controversial whatsoever,” Ralat says. “There is a body of scholarly work that has been created by people who have been doing this much longer than I have. There is evidence to back it up.”
But what about the fact that burritos are rolled up and tucked in, unlike a taco?
“What do you think the best way to eat a taco is?” Ralat asked. “Rolled up, so that none of the filling falls out! I also like to say that a quesadilla is just a really cheesy taco.”
Ralat thinks the burrito vs. taco debate is just semantics. There are plenty more things people can agree on than disagree when it comes to tacos, including how diverse the traditional food has become in such a short time.
“You can get East Indian tacos in Texas now,” he says. “Tacos are quickly changing. People are combining ingredients from different cultures that represent the areas where they’re from. They’re pushing boundaries and that’s exciting.”
