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The Venezuelan soccer player Héctor «Kike» Bello confirmed this Thursday the death of his wife Andrea after she was trapped under the rubble of the building where the family lived in La Guaira, collapsed by the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday afternoon.
Bello was out of the country when the tragedy occurred, leaving him unable to do anything while his family was buried under the rubble.
The news shook the football world while millions of people around the globe were enjoying the World Cup.
From abroad, the central defender from Cumaná, Sucre state, poured out his pain in a series of Instagram stories that touched the hearts of thousands.
"Adrea, my precious love, why are you leaving me alone? This was our fight, baby," he wrote in one of his messages.
In another, the soccer player expressed the anguish that consumes him when facing his young daughter, also named Andrea: "How do I tell my daughter, Andrea? How do I explain to your daughter that you lost your life saving hers, and I wasn't there to do anything at that moment? How do I explain this? Give me strength. You now, why can't I do more?"
That is precisely the most heartbreaking aspect of the story: Andrea died shielding her with her own body during the building's collapse, and the girl was rescued alive by the emergency teams.
Bello also addressed his mother-in-law, asking her to hold on: "Mother-in-law, wait for me; I’m not going to leave you alone in this pain. Little mother-in-law, hang in there, I'm coming. Mother-in-law, we are going to take care of the blessing that our love left us."
In another message, the player spoke directly to his daughter: "Mommy, daddy's coming. Hold on a little longer, mommy. Your daddy is going to hug you very tightly so you can give me the strength I need, sweetheart."
And in one of the most poignant messages, Bello confronted life itself: "How hard you have been on me. Every time I try to get up, you push me back down. Please don’t hit me any harder, life."
This Thursday, the footballer announced that he was returning to his country to reunite with his daughter: "Thank you so much to all those brothers who are supporting me. I will leave you a number to stay in touch and arrive in Venezuela today, God willing."
The sports platform Cumaná de Campeones, which highlights the football talent of the Sucre state, officially confirmed the tragedy: "We regret to inform you that the partner of the footballer Cumanes Héctor Bello 'Kike' was found dead among the rubble after the earthquake that shook the country yesterday afternoon-evening. His daughter did manage to survive the collapse of the building where the whole family lived."
The same platform concluded its statement with a message of solidarity: "All of Sucre state and the football community embrace you and stand with you in respect and solidarity, hoping you find peace amid the sadness."
The story of Bello is one of the most painful among those left by the worst seismic disaster in Venezuela in over a century: two earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 struck the country on Wednesday, just 39 seconds apart, leaving at least 188 deceased, more than 1,500 injured, and nearly 2,927 affected families.
"You left us alone in the struggle, mom. You left me all alone with our daughter," Bello wrote in a message that encapsulates the drama of a man who, thousands of kilometers away, lost his life partner while the world watched football.
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