The death of a Cuban girl and her cousin is confirmed following the earthquakes in Venezuela

Relatives of Vanessa Martínez, a Cuban girl from Melena del Sur in the province of Mayabeque, confirmed this Saturday to Martí Noticias the discovery of her lifeless body in Venezuela, three days after the devastating earthquakes that struck that country.

Alongside Vanessa, her cousin Ivanna Barreto was also found dead, as reported by the family members themselves. Both had been missing since the earthquakes on June 24, which destroyed more than 100 buildings in the state of La Guaira, where they lived.

The two minors lived in the Coral Beach building, located in the Los Corales area of La Guaira, one of the regions most devastated by the structural collapse. Vanessa's father is a Cuban doctor who completed a mission in Venezuela and chose to remain in the country; her mother resides in Cuba.

While the community of Melena del Sur mourns the loss of Vanessa and Ivanna, the search for Dayan Martínez —the cousins of the teenagers— continues actively. The boy remains missing under the rubble, and his loved ones do not lose hope of finding him alive.

The disappearance of Vanessa and Dayán after the earthquakes was reported on June 26 by journalist Daniel Benítez, who initially identified them as siblings and noted that they were last seen in the building where they lived. The reporter urgently requested information from anyone who might have it.

The earthquakes on June 24, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, occurred just 39 seconds apart and had their epicenter in the state of Yaracuy. The United States Geological Survey has classified them as the most powerful recorded in Venezuela since 1900. The official death toll has risen to 1,430 dead and more than 3,360 injured, while the UN is reporting unofficial figures of up to 50,000 missing across the country.

This Saturday, a magnitude 4.8 shook Venezuela again, keeping families on edge as they continue to search for their loved ones among the rubble.

At least 32 Cubans were listed as missing in Venezuela according to citizen platforms such as Encuéntralos and monitoring by El Toque, concentrated in Caraballeda, Catia La Mar, and Los Corales. However, the Cuban regime stated it has no confirmation of compatriots affected by the earthquakes.

Ana Teresita González Fraga, Director General of Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Relations, declared this Saturday that "so far we do not have official confirmation of compatriots injured, deceased, or missing," despite families reporting deaths.

The stance generated criticism for its contradiction with citizen data and for following the regime's historical pattern of opacity regarding tragedies that affect Cubans abroad.