Among the scores of people still missing in last week鈥檚 horrific Surfside condo collapse is one of Paraguay鈥檚 most powerful families. Sophia L贸pez Moreira is the sister-in-law of President Mario Abdo Ben铆tez and the sister of First Lady Silvana L贸pez Moreira. Sophia, her husband and three young children were in the 12-story Champlain Towers South building.
But as heartbreaking as their tragedy surely is, what has stood out in recent days in Paraguay is the remarkable outpouring of emotion for the family鈥檚 nanny: 23-year-old Leidy Luna Villalba, who is also missing in the building collapse.
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The passionate public reaction for Leidy grew louder after her mother, Juana, gave to in Paraguay last Friday in a mix of Spanish and indigenous Guaran铆 that's common in their poor, rural village of Eugenio Garay in Paraguay's southeastern Guair谩 province.
Juana emphasized how hard her daughter has strived to improve her situation, finishing her nursing degree 鈥� an hour-long, 5 a.m. bus ride to her university in the city of Villarica every morning and another home at night 鈥� while working to help support her family. "Always happily," Juana said, "never complaining.鈥�
"She's our sost茅n," Juana added. Our support.
Those nursing skills recently helped Leidy land a weekend job as a nanny to Sophia L贸pez's children in the capital, Asunci贸n 鈥� and a chance to travel with L贸pez鈥檚 family to Miami last week.
READ MORE: Several South American Feared Lost in Surfside Tragedy, Including Sister of Paraguay's First Lady
It was Leidy's first trip outside Paraguay. Her first chance to see a beach and swim in the ocean, a marvel she may not have been able to experience because the Surfside condo building fell the same night she arrived.
鈥淪he was doing her checklist of dreams and in the middle of one it was taken from her," said Meli Pe帽a, who grew up in Paraguay and now lives in Tampa as an arts producer. She鈥檚 been following the eruption of Paraguayan social media here and there sharing Leidy's story.
鈥淟eidy Luna represents the 80 percent of Paraguayans working hard, trying to be something more. They can all connect 鈥� and they identify with her," Pe帽a said.
So much so that last week many Paraguayans responded angrily when Leidy's mother said officials there had still not contacted her. 鈥淪ay Leidy鈥檚 name!鈥� some Paraguayans shouted on Twitter to a government already facing massive protests over its mishandling of the pandemic.
鈥淟eidy鈥檚 tragedy is an added ingredient to people鈥檚 anger and pain," said Mabel Rehnfeldt, a leading investigative journalist in Paraguay and one of the ABC reporters who interviewed Leidy鈥檚 mother.
鈥淭here are two Paraguayan families facing the worst emotional hurricane of their lives right now," Rehnfeldt said. "But people are saying Leidy鈥檚 family should not be less important than the president鈥檚.鈥�
The government has since been reaching out to Leidy鈥檚 family; it brought her brother Diego Luna, who works in Argentina, back to Paraguay so he can travel to Miami this week.
Paraguayan expats here in South Florida are concerned, too. Miami realtor Silvia Bosch says she of course feels terrible about L贸pez鈥檚 family, especially the children. But it bothered her that the initial media coverage in Paraguay and here focused solely on them.
鈥淣obody was saying anything about Leidy, the nanny," Bosch said. "She鈥檚 a person, too 鈥� she鈥檚 a human being, too. And she was dreaming to help people. That鈥檚 why you study to be a nurse, because you want to help people.鈥�
鈥淟eidy鈥檚 suddenly become a common cause. She鈥檚 more than just the hired help now. People want her tragedy to mean something.Lourdes Luna
Bosch was moved over the weekend to start to help Leidy鈥檚 family. Other Paraguayan expats have pitched in 鈥� including Evelina Lowenthal, who owns in Bay Harbor Islands. She suggested to 鈥� which flies directly between Asunci贸n and Miami 鈥� that it donate tickets to Miami to aid Leidy鈥檚 family.
"They agreed immediately," Lowenthal said.
Others have suggested Leidy's family will need legal help here in Florida, if not back in Paraguay.
All this outreach has taken the family in Eugenio Garay by surprise, says her cousin in Paraguay, Lourdes Luna.
鈥淚t seems Leidy鈥檚 suddenly become a common cause," Lourdes, who is a teacher, told WLRN. "She鈥檚 more than just the hired help now. People want her tragedy to mean something.鈥�
That fervent response may mean something important has changed in Latin American countries like Paraguay 鈥� especially that social media has greatly amplified ordinary people鈥檚 voices. What's more, Paraguay鈥檚 population is young, like Leidy: most are under 30, and as the recent pandemic protests have shown, they feel more frustrated than hopeful.
If Leidy has become a symbol it's because, as her mother Juana said, her story 鈥� even if it ends tragically 鈥� carries a spark of hope.
That includes what friends and family say is one of Leidy鈥檚 favorite hobbies: rescuing hungry stray dogs from the street and finding them homes. It鈥檚 part of her nursing instincts, they say.
And one more reason to make sure that although she's feared lost in Surfside, her story won't be.
