A Venezuelan rescuer who just retrieved the bodies of his daughter and two grandchildren from the rubble decided not to abandon the rescue efforts.
Cristian Rebolledo lost three close family members after the earthquakes on June 24 in Tanaguarenas, and he shared one of the most heartbreaking testimonies of the disaster that is ravaging the state of La Guaira.
In the video, recorded in the coastal area of Tanaguarenas, Rebolledo recounts with a trembling voice that he personally retrieved the lifeless bodies of his daughter and his grandsons, Isabela (8 years old) and Mati (11 years old), from the rubble.
Even so, instead of stepping back, he continued working alongside other volunteers in the search for more victims, because there are still "many friends and acquaintances" trapped.
When asked why he continued on after such a loss, he responded by referring to a value he considers essential in his country: "The first thing that defines us as Venezuelans is humanism. Regardless of any individualism, humanism above all. And here we are, and here we remain."
The interviewer, who witnessed the moment Rebolledo took out his grandchildren, expressed his condolences directly: "I saw how you brought out your grandchildren. I'm truly sorry; may God have him in His glory."
Rebolledo also revealed that this is not the first time he has faced a tragedy of this magnitude in the same area. During the Vargas landslide in 1999, he participated in security and rescue efforts: "When the landslide happened, we were here, already involved in security. Unfortunately, there were scoundrels, looters. We did carry out some rescue operations, yes."
The video quickly went viral on social media and has amassed over 1.6 million views on Facebook, becoming a symbol of the Venezuelan spirit of solidarity amid the catastrophe.
The earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 that shook Venezuela on June 24, only 40 seconds apart, left unprecedented devastation in La Guaira.
The official report at the end of this week states 1,430 deceased, over 54,000 missing, and more than 3,360 injured, with at least 250 buildings collapsed solely in that region.
The state's response was widely criticized: during the first 24 hours after the earthquakes, no official rescue teams had arrived in critical areas like Tanaguarenas, which forced the civilian population to organize autonomously.
In contrast, 25 rescue teams from 17 different countries were deployed to the affected areas.
This Saturday, a magnitude 4.8 aftershock shook the central coast of Venezuela, with its epicenter 38 kilometers from La Guaira, further complicating the search efforts in which Cristian Rebolledo and other volunteers are continuing to work.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) issued a Red Alert and estimates a 42% probability that the final number of victims could be between 10,000 and 100,000 people.
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