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Consular search in Pereira

Pereira: Mexican embassy mobilises to locate a missing couple

Editorial illustration for “Pereira: Mexican embassy mobilises to locate a missing couple”
Illustration éditoriale En Colombie

Updated August 14, 2026 at 10:02 p.m. Colombia time

A consular and operational search is under way in Pereira for two Mexican nationals unaccounted for since the earthquake. The Mexican embassy details its actions without publishing their names.

An alert handled by the embassy

The Mexican mission says it remains in contact with the family and secured the couple’s official inclusion on the missing-person list. It is also coordinating with Colombian Red Cross rescue groups.

Priority conveyed nationally and locally

The military attaché conveyed the priority to the National Unified Command Post. The embassy also activated a contact network for hospital checks, met Pereira’s mayor and obtained a liaison officer to follow the search on the ground.

Identities attributed to the family

The official communiqué publishes neither names nor ages. Drawing on relatives, EL PAÍS identifies Mario Alberto Zapata, 57, and Brenda Eloisa Flores, 42, who were on holiday in Pereira.

A last contact, not a time of disappearance

According to the family quoted by the newspaper, the last contact was at 7:16 a.m. on August 10. The time precedes the earthquake but does not establish when the couple disappeared or their exact location.

Sources and transparency