A team of 18 firefighters from Madeira, specializing in search and rescue in collapsed structures, has been demobilized despite being ready for deployment to Venezuela.
The personnel were selected, vaccinated, and prepared for several days. Richard Marques, president of Madeira's Regional Civil Protection Service, confirmed that the instruction received from the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection was that "no more urban search and rescue teams" would enter the country.
Marques explained that the final decision on deploying the team does not fall to the region, depending on the National Authority and operational information from the ground. While not using the term "mission aborted," he admitted the expectation was different, expressing a "bitter taste" with the outcome.
