09/07/2026 06:19 - Internacionales
More than two weeks after the devastating earthquake that struck Venezuela, the tragic outcome of the search for Lucas Gamez would be confirmed. Lucas was the Argentine boy trapped when the Miramar building collapsed in La Guaira (a coastal region near Caracas). His father, Marcos Gamez, would speak with an emotional message aimed at all families still awaiting news of their loved ones under the rubble.
If God chose us for this tragedy, I believe it is to send a message to the world, to humanity, that we need to reflect a bit. Please, keep trying and keep believing, do not lose faith.
With a broken voice, the father highlighted that faith was a fundamental characteristic of his son, remembering that he spoke a lot about Jesus and God. He also deeply thanked the efforts of all rescue teams: Infinite thanks to the firefighters, the rescuers from the different countries who were there, the workers, those who removed rubble with their fingernails, and the Armed Forces.
Lucas's body would be found on July 8, 2026, following an intense 14-day search. The young boy, who had symbolically turned 9 years old on July 6 amidst the operations with a cake and candles, was located when teams decided to bring in heavy machinery to remove the heaviest remaining debris from the collapsed structure.
Argentine rescuers worked alongside Venezuelan personnel in rotating four-hour shifts around the clock. The father indicated he did not have the courage to see the remains and that other relatives took charge, currently fulfilling protocols at the morgue in La Guaira with the intention of transferring the body to Caracas.
On June 24, 2026, a national holiday in Venezuela, Lucas had traveled with his uncles to La Guaira to enjoy a day at the beach. After buying an ice cream, he returned to the apartment. Because the even-numbered elevator was out of service, he took the odd-numbered one with his uncle and another person. A witness who got off on the seventh floor recounted that moments after they separated, the total collapse of the structure occurred due to a double earthquake of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, leaving the region as ground zero.
Lucas was born in Argentina, where he even played in the youth divisions of Defensores de Belgrano (a traditional football club in Buenos Aires), but resided in Venezuela with his parents, Marcos Gamez and Blancalida Martinez Coronado, who had returned to the Caribbean country in January 2026. His case moved both sides of the continent during the nearly 15 days of uncertainty.
Source: Infobae
Alfredo S. Quiroga
