Adriana Diaz Reyes
Sent
La Jornada Newspaper
Wednesday, February 28, 2024, p. a10
Acapulco, Gro., With pick and shovel in hand, Carlos Castro Vázquez arrived at the facilities of the Mexican Tennis Open (AMT) on day one after the hurricane Otis in port in October 2023.
Tree branches, collapsed structures, mud, papers and sheets was the spectacle that Charlyin charge of general services at AMT, found the place that had been his source of income for seven years.
It was very ugly to see how the warehouses and offices were completely destroyed. The image was devastating, but we set ourselves the task of recovering what we could; At that time there were no hierarchies, we all started to help, he says.
Castro Vázquez was in charge of finding the key people for the operation of the tournament; a task complicated by the lack of electricity, Internet and communications.
We began to form groups and met at the Burger King that is on the corner of the facilities. Many did arrive when called, but for others we had to go look for them at their homes, because there was no way to know if they were okay. Several returned to work and others we could not locate.
In 120 days the work was ready and the source of income for thousands of families was not lost.
This is a spectacle that suits us all, from public sector transporters to tourism and restaurateurs. The Open employs many people and that is what is needed most now. Watching a little tennis is wonderful for us, not only economically, but also morally, he points out.
In the ATP 500 tournament, Charly He is the all-rounder, in charge of getting things as basic as a pencil, to organizing activities and press conferences.
I am on the courts sometimes from eight in the morning and until the last game ends, I have to be aware of the needs of all areas.
While contributing to the reconstruction of the AMT, Castro Vázquez also had to deal with repairs to his house located in the municipality of La Sabana, a place where the overflowing of the river caused damage to hundreds of homes.
I lived through the hurricane with my wife and daughter, we were very afraid because of the intensity of the floods and the sounds that were heard around us. The streets were full of mud and the drains were clogged, chaos, she says.
With the support of the Mextenis authorities, he was able to stay on his feet thanks to canned food and bottled water. We had to travel for hours to Chilpancingo or San Marcos to get groceries, we ended up paying 350 pesos for a cone of eggs. The issue of hygiene was also a problem, in addition to mosquitoes and diseases.
Four months after Otis, the coastal people are rising at a slow but constant pace. What stands out is the spirit to move forward after an accident of this magnitude.
There are people who are helping to recover Acapulco and others are not, but in general we are enthusiastic, we want to get ahead. Everything has been complicated with traffic and road problems, but people don’t give up, he says.
2024-02-28 09:27:35
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