Spanish photographer Alberto Clavijo died from a fall during a Smirnoff promotional event with RBD in Mexico City on July 19. The photographer fell the four stories through a void in the floor that, some are alleging, was not properly addressed nor secured for the promotional event.
According to media reports, residents in Mexico City had spoken out about the unsafe condition of Parque Bicentenario, which was the location of the promotional event where Clavijo fell to his death.
“A colleague and very dear friend of mine fell from the fourth floor,” said Mexican TV personality Daniel Bisogno during his television program “Ventaneando,” the first time anyone in media had reported about the incident. “They transported him by ambulance, but, unfortunately, the doctors at the hospital to which they took him could not do anything for him.”
Bisogno continued: “At these events, where they care so much about clothing or sound, they should care more about the safety of people. There is no excuse for Alberto to be in a place where there was no warning of danger. The site should have been protected by security guards.”
According to CulturaPop, Smirnoff, the brand behind the event, released a statement distancing itself and RBD from the tragic incident on July 20.
“We know this is a sad and difficult situation,” reads part of the statement released by Smirnoff. “We have contacted the people affected and organizers of the event to understand what happened and help in this situation.”
Per the statement, neither RBD, the campaign, nor its team were part of the event’s organization, nor were they close to where the accident occurred. Moreover, Pablo Ahumada, RBD’s head of marketing, Pablo Ahumada echoed Smirnoff’s statement by writing on social media that neither he nor his company had any part in the event’s organization and clarified that they only negotiated the campaign’s marketing with the talent. At the time of publishing, RBD has not made an official statement about the incident.
Clavijo had reportedly been living in Mexico City for 12 years, where he forged a career in the entertainment industry as a photographer. Throughout his career, he worked with personalities like Anahí and Natalia Lafourcade. The Smirnoff event was one of RBD’s first public appearances since announcing their upcoming Soy Rebelde Tour. The comeback tour is set to begin on Aug. 25 in El Paso, TX, and will be the band’s first since 2008. RBD will tour the U.S. and Latin America and conclude in December.