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The earthquakes that devastated Venezuela on June 24 left a tragic mark on Venezuelan football: at least four players lost their lives and another seven are still missing, as confirmed this Friday by the Venezuelan Football Federation (FVF).
The most heartbreaking case is that of Yimvert Berroterán, an 18-year-old midfielder found dead among the ruins of his building in La Guaira, nearly 40 hours after the earthquakes.
According to the AS newspaper, the building completely collapsed, and rescue teams took nearly two days to reach the location of the player, who was accompanied by his partner, Valentina Sandoval, who also passed away.
Berroterán had competed in the South American U-17 Championship and the U-17 World Cup in Doha, and earlier this month he participated in the Toulon Tournament with the U-23 national team.
In his professional career, the young man was accumulating minutes with UCV FC in the local championship and had been called up for the group stage of the Copa Libertadores, although he did not get to debut.
The Vinotinto team paid tribute on social media with a message that read: "Your light will continue to be present in every Vinotinto heartbeat."
The FVF also confirmed the death of Víctor Palacios, 14 years old, belonging to Club Sport San Agustín, and Razan Sijaa, a player of the Under-18 category from Caracas FC.
Furthermore, Yordelis Pereira, a member of the Puerto Cabello Women's Academy, was confirmed deceased by the federation.
Another tragedy shook the defender of Zulia FC, Héctor Bello, who recounted on social media that his partner Andrea died while shielding their one-year-old daughter with her body during the collapse of their building.
The baby survived, but the player's aunt was also hospitalized as a result of the earthquake.
Among the missing football players are José Manuel Pimentel Berríos (16 years old, Deportivo La Guaira), Edwin Peraza (33 years old, Portuguesa FC), Mainell Rondón (12 years old), Kleudes García (38 years old), and three other players, as reported by the FVF.
The two earthquakes, measuring 7.5 and 7.2 in magnitude, had their epicenter in the state of Carabobo and made La Guaira the most devastated area, with over 250 collapsed buildings.
The official toll of victims has risen to 920 dead and more than 3,360 injured, while the UN reports figures of up to 50,000 missing across the country.
The United States Geological Survey issued a Red Alert and estimated that the final number of victims could range from 10,000 to 100,000 people, a projection that further darkens the outlook for a country already facing a deep crisis.
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