Andreina Valerio described hearing her young son cry from beneath the rubble of her in-laws' collapsed building in La Guaira, Venezuela, in the aftermath of two devastating earthquakes. Her son, Santiago, nearly two years old, was trapped inside with her partner, Ramsés Mendoza, and other family members when the structure came down.
Valerio rushed back from work to find the building in ruins. Her brother-in-law, Samuel Mendoza, was already searching through the debris. "I still have faith my son is alive," Valerio stated, her voice filled with hope. "I know my son will get through this, as will his family."
Neighbors and people from other parts of Venezuela have joined the search efforts, assisting families who are digging through the debris with their bare hands. Rescue teams from El Salvador and Spain arrived on Saturday, but initial access to some collapsed buildings proved difficult. By Saturday, no survivors had been rescued from the building where Valerio's family was trapped. Samuel Mendoza reported hearing a woman's voice, eventually identifying it as a cry for help, followed by the sound of a baby crying the next day.
In addition to Santiago, other children, including a nine-year-old boy named Lucas and a three-year-old girl named Aranza, were reported to be trapped in the same building. Valerio and Samuel Mendoza are among many Venezuelans desperately searching for loved ones amidst the widespread destruction. Hundreds of buildings have been leveled across the country by the powerful earthquakes, leaving many families displaced and in need of assistance.
Survivors reported being sleep-deprived and hoarse from calling out for loved ones. The country appears ill-equipped to handle the scale of the disaster, despite having faced extreme crises in recent years. Volunteers and aid workers are providing support, with people seen queuing for clothing donations in affected areas. The earthquakes have caused significant damage, particularly in coastal regions like La Guaira, leaving a trail of destruction and families holding onto hope for miraculous rescues.
