Rescue workers found the lifeless body of lawyer Juan José Salazar in the rubble of the Ana Pilar building in Cali during emergency response operations following the earthquake that struck the country on 10 August. According to local authorities and rescue organisations working in the capital of Valle del Cauca, the discovery was made at approximately 2:30 a.m.
The lawyer's partner was also found among the rubble. Salazar was implicated in judicial proceedings brought against former president Álvaro Uribe Vélez on suspicion of witness tampering.
The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) reported on the coordination of search and rescue operations in the regions affected by the 7.4-magnitude earthquake registered in Chocó. According to the institution, the only teams authorised to carry out these operations are those properly certified, including local USAR teams, those from the Military Forces, and teams from the United States, Israel and Ecuador.
The UNGRD indicated that the director of the agency is the only one authorised to approve which teams can support search and rescue operations. The affected municipalities continue processing the Single Registry of Victims.
