Doctor Yahir Gerardo García-López, along with his family, experienced a near-death experience on July 6th of last year due to carbon monoxide poisoning that occurred while staying at the Hotel Alpino, in the Palermo neighborhood, Buenos Aires.
Eight months after the incident, García López recounts the details of what happened and his struggle for justice. According to his testimony, the family arrived at the hotel around midnight after attending a religious dinner, as García López, a rabbinical seminarian from the Jewish community in Mexico, was in Argentina for activities related to his studies.
The toxicologists who attended to the case indicated that the levels of poisoning detected are usually lethal in less than three hours, and that the family required medical follow-up for at least a year and a half, including CT scans, blood tests, pulmonary studies, and psychological therapy.
After persistent requests, they managed to access the room, where they found García López, his wife, and his 7-year-old daughter in critical condition, almost in a coma, due to exposure to the gas. The report from the Fire Department of Buenos Aires, shared by García López, indicates that the carbon monoxide came from a defective heating system, with cracks and damage that allowed the gas to leak through the vents.
In the civil sphere, the family seeks to cover medical expenses and treatments arising from the physical and emotional consequences, which have affected their ability to work and generated debt. García-López asserts that the hotel continues to operate normally and has not assumed any responsibility.
The owner of the establishment, in a WhatsApp statement cited by García López, described the incident as an "accidental and unpredictable act," contradicting the official report from the firefighters. García López mentioned that he received a recent email from the prosecutor confirming that the hotel owner is accused and that the case remains active.
García López has had to sell personal belongings, such as books and paintings, to cover costs. Additionally, he questions the existence of an insurance policy from the insurer mentioned by the owner, as he has not received any response or concrete support. Despite everything, Hotel Alpino continues to promote itself on its website as a safe place that complies with all regulations, something he categorically denies.
To seek help, he mentions having requested support from the Mexican consulate in Buenos Aires, but that the response was limited to a reference to the Tourist Defense Office, without further follow-up. The case is being criminally investigated by the Buenos Aires Prosecutor's Office, which opened a case for a crime equivalent to involuntary manslaughter in Mexico.
