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Lazara Yumara Villaurrutia Rodriguez, a 35-year-old Cuban doctor, has been missing along with her Venezuelan husband and their seven-month-old baby following the collapse of the building where they lived in La Guaira state, shaken by the earthquakes of June 24, 2026, in Venezuela.
The case was reported this Saturday by independent journalist Christian Arbolaez through his verified Facebook account, where he gathers and publishes cases of Cubans reported as missing following the earthquakes.
According to the call from his relatives, Villaurrutia Rodríguez resided with her husband, identified only as Juan, and the small Sebastián, just seven months old, in the Cumanagoto building, located in Playa Grande, Catia La Mar.
The building collapsed during the earthquakes, and since then, no family member has been able to establish contact with any of the three.
"The anguish is relentless for Lázara Yusmara Villaurrutia Rodríguez's family," wrote Arbolaez, who urged those in Venezuela, especially in La Guaira, to provide any information about the doctor, her husband, or the baby.
The earthquakes that led to the disappearance of the family occurred on June 24 at 6:04 PM local time, with two tremors measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, just 39 seconds apart, the strongest recorded in Venezuela since 1900 according to the United States Geological Survey.
The state of La Guaira was the most devastated: more than 250 buildings collapsed or sustained severe damage in areas such as Catia La Mar, Playa Grande, and Los Corales, with at least 200 people trapped under the rubble.
The number of victims rose to 920 deaths and more than 3,360 injuries according to the Venezuelan government report, while the UN estimated up to 50,000 missing persons across the country.
The case of Villaurrutia Rodríguez adds to a growing list of Cubans whose whereabouts are unknown following the earthquakes. Citizen platforms such as Encuéntralos and the independent outlet elToque documented over 30 missing Cubans in Venezuela, concentrated in La Guaira.
Among the most heartbreaking cases is that of the children Vanessa and Dayan Martínez, originally from Melena del Sur, Mayabeque, who lived with their father—a Cuban doctor—in the Coral Beach building in Los Corales. This Saturday, the death of Vanessa and her cousin was confirmed, while Dayan remained missing.
A Cuban family of six members is also being sought in the Oasis Beach and Resjurel buildings in La Guaira, among them Alain Rodríguez Rojas and Teresa Rojas Rodríguez.
In light of the magnitude of the tragedy, the Cuban regime remained silent. The Director General of Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ana Teresita González Fraga, stated this Saturday that Cuba has no "official confirmation of compatriots injured, deceased, or missing," according to a report from the regime regarding Cubans affected in Venezuela.
Arbolaez urged people to share the post and to message him privately if they want to spread the search for a missing Cuban: "Every post can help ensure the information reaches the right person."
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