USA: President Joe Biden consols fire victims in Colorado

US President Joe Biden went to Colorado on Friday to meet with fire victims, a week after fierce fires destroyed a thousand homes.

The 79-year-old Democrat, who often shows a human face, exchanged words and gestures of affection with families and firefighters in Louisville, much of which turned to debris from the Marshall Fire on December 30.

“We lost everything,” a resident told Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden.

“I’m not even dressed properly because these are all the clothes I have left,” the man continued, pointing to the shorts he was wearing, while the wreckage of the neighborhood was covered in snow.

“We definitely need help,” said his son, who also wore shorts.

The president held his father’s hand for a while, before shaking the hands of about ten firefighters.

A woman asked Jill Biden if he could hug her, then she did.

“We will overcome it,” said another resident.

The head of state then went to a recreation center that has been turned into a shelter, where he stressed that there is, as he sees it, “nothing more frightening” than a fire.

“I can not even imagine what it is like to be in this neighborhood and see winds that reach speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour and flames approaching you,” he continued, after the particularly devastating period of fires in the United States.

“This situation is a red alert for our country,” he continued, pointing to the unusually strong winds and the late arrival of snow, which created a “gunpowder depot” for him.

He also stressed that the “reality” that climate change is exacerbating fires could not be ignored.

To the families who asked him “and now what do we do”, he replied “we stand by each other (…). This is the way”, promising that they will receive support from the state.

Source: AMPE