Two Salvadoran brothers die together in Maryland

The lack of electricity due to the snowstorm that hit the Washington metropolitan region on Monday made the brothers Carlos Ramón Carranza (known as Carlos Ramón Guevara), their brother Luis Eduardo and their cousin Lisandro Salamanca decide to buy a small power generating plant on Tuesday the 4th at noon.

Although they initially left the plant outside the house they rented in the 14000 block of South Springfield Road in the Brandywine area of ​​Prince George's County, Maryland, they later decided to place it inside the house.

That was a fatal mistake since such machinery produces carbon monoxide, a highly toxic gas that kills people slowly when breathed in at high levels.

It is not the first time that a fatal accident like this has occurred, despite continuous warnings from authorities and community activists. Ten years ago, in the Oxon Hill area, five Salvadorans also died in similar circumstances as the Carranza brothers.

Investigations indicate that the first to die was Carlos Ramón and then his brother. Instead, Salamanca was transported to a nearby hospital, where he is in critical condition, but doctors hope he will survive, according to spokesmen for the county fire department.

The victims had been working the night before removing snow from neighborhoods through a subcontractor and upon returning home they found that there was no electricity. It was another person who lived in the house who, upon returning from work, found the three men apparently asleep, while the generator was still running; Then he realized that the brothers had died, so he proceeded to report it to the authorities.

The Carranza family worked in gardening, but they also made cakes and other varieties of Salvadoran-style sweet bread, which they distributed in some supermarkets and stores or by special request to those who requested it.

Deep pain

“The Salvadoran community of the DMV (the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia) suffers the loss of our friend, companion of the thousand struggles Carlos Ramón Guevara, a young man with a fighting spirit. Since I met him, his love for El Salvador brought us together. We share such beautiful moments representing El Salvador and with my family. Carlitos, you leave a great void in our lives, ”lamented Jackie Reyes, director of the Office of Community Affairs of the Mayor of Washington.

The two brothers and the survivor were originally from the city of San Alejo, department of La Unión, in eastern Salvador.

Carlos Ramón was very active in the community and always joined the activities carried out by the San Alejo Pro-Improvement Committee or with the Salvadoran American Transnational Communities (COTSA), where he was highly appreciated.

"The death of these young and very active workers, especially Carlos Ramón, is a tragedy," said Héctor Álvarez, who was a very close friend of the deceased and was immediately present at the house where the tragedy occurred.

Similarly, activist Rosa M. Dubón, who is also a member of the San Alejo Committee, was shocked by the loss of a close friend.

“So many shared moments, I never imagined that he would leave so soon, we were rivals in politics, but our friendship always remained despite the differences; in the end we always reconciled and shared many anecdotes and dreams. In his short stay in the United States, he achieved a lot ”, highlighted Dubón.

“He was a man of challenges, who achieved everything he set out to do; I have many memories left, and the last hug he gave me a few weeks ago. Rest in peace friend with your dear brother. My most sincere condolences, for all his family, and the community of San Alejo that today we mourn your departure. You will always live in my heart Carlos Ramón Guevara ”, he pointed out.