The Venezuelan firefighter Tony Lopez He arrived nine years ago in the Dominican Republic marked by the crisis in the country, and in his new destination his work became vital by participating in the rescue after the collapse of the Jet Set nightclub on April 8, 2025, which left 236 dead and more than a hundred injuredthe event that has “touched” him the most.
He had to leave Venezuela due to the crisis: “I decided to leave the country, like many Venezuelans, to give security to my family”.
In the Dominican Republic he joined the Santo Domingo fire departmentwhere he continued his vocation and specialized in emergency psychology.
Regarding the Jet Set tragedy, he highlighted that even in the catastrophe “Victims have dignity”.
López toasted emotional support for victims and also made rescue work in the rubble when international aid decreased.
“The Emergency psychology is as vital as rescuing people”he stated, underlining the importance of protecting the psychological health of victims and rescuers.
The experience led them to conclude that they should “humanize emergencies” and adequately protocolize psychological first aid.
After the rescue, he was contacted by the International Legion Venezuela Brigademade up of Venezuelan firefighters in different countries.
The organization not only works in disasters, but also in the emotional care of firefighters and emergency personnel.
The Legion was founded in 2018 in Lima by the Venezuelan Richard Perales Gerdelin the midst of the migratory exodus.
According to the UN, nearly 7.9 million people have left Venezuelathe majority hosted in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Currently, the Legion has 600 members —among doctors, nurses, lawyers, engineers and rescuers— and expanded in 2022 by Latin America and Europe to provide disaster cooperation.
They have activated legions in Spain for the dana of October 2024 and in Chile due to forest firesin addition to having a presence in countries such as Canada, the United States, Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Bolivia, Argentina and Uruguay.
