Dayán Martínez's grandmother, the 10-year-old Cuban boy who remains missing under the rubble of the Coral Beach building in Los Corales, La Guaira state, made a desperate plea on Monday for international rescue teams not to abandon the search for her grandson, as five days have now passed since the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24.
"We have already lost two granddaughters. Dayán is the only grandson we have left," she said through tears in a video shared by Martí Noticias. The woman stated that since the day of the tragedy, she has not been able to sleep and urged rescuers to continue their work as long as there is a possibility of finding survivors.
The family has already suffered an irreparable loss. On June 27, the death of Vanessa Martínez, Dayán's sister, and a cousin of both was confirmed, who were also trapped after the collapse of the building where they lived with their father, a Cuban doctor who completed an official mission in Venezuela and chose to remain in that country.
According to the grandmother, in recent hours several international brigades have attempted to access the collapsed structure. She explained that a French team worked first, followed by American specialists, and later, the arrival of Salvadoran rescuers was anticipated.
According to his testimony, upon learning that the brigade from El Salvador would have to wait until six in the morning to begin their work, President Nayib Bukele ordered to advance their transfer. The team arrived around three in the morning to assess the conditions of the building.
However, a magnitude 4.6 aftershock recorded on Monday forced the operations to be suspended once again.
Maryerit Arcia, the minor's aunt, explained that the American team had to temporarily withdraw for safety reasons.
"When they were about to enter to carry out the mission to rescue the children, a 4.6 earthquake occurred at that moment. They say that due to the protocols they have for their work, for their safety, they cannot enter until three hours have passed again in the area, if there is no further seismic activity," he explained.
Meanwhile, a group of Venezuelan rescuers ceased operations early in the morning, believing that there were no longer any signs of life. The father of Dayán publicly denounced that, at that time, there was no staff working in the building.
Despite this, the family holds onto hope after some rescuers claimed to have heard voices and footsteps of children beneath the rubble.
"Someone has to do it, please. They say they are alive. It has been five days already. What more are they going to wait for?" the grandmother pleaded.
With evident desperation, the woman also warned about the deteriorating conditions inside the building.
"Those little kids are three children that are alive there... it's even said that there are bodies that are already decomposed and that there's a bad smell. Those kids, how long will it be? They might not even be alive anymore," he lamented.
The earthquakes of June 24, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, occurring just 39 seconds apart, are regarded by the United States Geological Survey as the strongest recorded in Venezuela since 1900.
Until this Monday, the official count reported 1,719 deceased and more than 5,034 injured. The United Nations estimates that up to 50,000 people remain missing across the country, while only 33 have been rescued alive since the emergency began.
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