27/06/2026 15:14 - Internacionales
The tragedy unfolding in Venezuela since Wednesday, June 24, 2026 worsens with each new official report. The latest update delivered on Saturday, June 27, 2026 by acting president Delcy Rodríguez raised the death toll to 1,430 people and confirmed 3,238 injured. The number of missing persons, according to unofficial reports, stands at around 68,000, while international organizations estimate the figure at nearly 70,000.
Two earthquakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 respectively, shook the Caribbean country with just 39 seconds between them, generating a phenomenon known as a "seismic doublet". This rare geological event caused the collapse of hundreds of buildings and left an unprecedented trail of destruction in the northern region of the country.
The coastal state of La Guaira, located approximately 40 km (25 miles) from Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, concentrates the majority of the damage and the highest number of victims. For context, this distance is similar to traveling from Manhattan to Newark, New Jersey, making it essentially part of the greater metropolitan area of the capital.
There, desperation mixes with frustration over the perception of insufficient and slow official assistance.
"The government is doing nothing for the people!", shouted a resident in front of a 22-story tower that collapsed in Caracas, in the Palos Grandes neighborhood. This building, called Las Petunias, an 18-story residential tower, was reduced to a mountain of rubble. There, rescuers recovered six bodies, but also achieved the emotional rescue of a small dog alive after more than 48 hours under the debris.
In the midst of the catastrophe, stories of anguish unfold. Lucas Trejo, an Argentine football player for Marítimo de La Guaira, continues the desperate search for his wife Yanina Maranella and their two young children, Aarón (7) and Ainhoa (5), who remain missing. His inner circle says the player is practically incommunicado, unable to receive messages.
Given the delay in the arrival of specialized equipment, residents themselves have taken the initiative, digging with their bare hands and improvised tools. "There's a smell... the deceased are already becoming noticeable. That's going to make us sick, us and the children", denounces Glendys Delgado, a resident, reflecting the emerging public health crisis.
To organize the operation, the government decreed the militarization of La Guaira. Sectoral vice president Diosdado Cabello announced that access to the state is restricted and only permitted with an official QR code. More than 14,000 military and police officers patrol the area, according to Delcy Rodríguez, who stated that 60% of electrical service has been restored.
The international community has responded decisively. Venezuela has received more than 1,600 rescuers from at least 17 countries, and 25 additional flights are expected in the next 24 hours. The Simón Bolívar International Airport in Caracas, repaired by a team from the United States, is back in operation, facilitating the arrival of aid.
Argentina was one of the first countries to join the humanitarian operation. At 02:30 on Saturday, June 27, a contingent of 26 military personnel, along with canine units and medical staff, arrived in Venezuela and was deployed in Caraballeda, one of the most critical points in La Guaira. Acting president Delcy Rodríguez publicly thanked Javier Milei and the Argentine people for their solidarity.
From Brazil, the government sent two aircraft with 111,000 units of medications, painkillers, antibiotics, and a field hospital with 48 military personnel. The United States, which temporarily lifted sanctions to facilitate aid, deployed two search and rescue teams of 80 people each.
Amid the devastation, stories of heroism and drama multiply. The case of a 9-year-old girl named Dana became known. She remains trapped under rubble in La Guaira, and neighbors are pleading for her life as they attempt to rescue her without specialized machinery. In another moving story, Andrea, the wife of footballer Héctor Bello, died protecting her 1-year-and-8-month-old baby with her body. The infant survived.
King Charles III of England also expressed his solidarity: "We send our sincerest solidarity to all those who have lost their loved ones, their homes, and their livelihoods".
The task now is a race against time. The first 72 hours are vital for finding survivors alive. While the Venezuelan government distributes 2,600 tons of food and water, and a Red Cross account is enabled to locate family members, the world keeps its eyes on Venezuela, in a struggle between hope and a tragedy that continues to grow.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
