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Hernán Alberto Gil Flores, the 44-year-old Venezuelan security guard who survived eight days trapped under the rubble of a shopping center following the devastating earthquake that struck Venezuela on June 24, received a surprise he never imagined: an official Portugal national team jersey signed by Cristiano Ronaldo and personalized with his name and the star's number 7.
According to El Nacional, the gift was personally delivered by the Ambassador of Portugal in Venezuela, Manuel Frederico Pinheiro da Silva, who visited Gil at the Hospital de Clínicas Caracas accompanied by the commander of the Joint Operational Force (FOCON), Hugo Santos.
Behind the gesture lies a story that moved both the rescuers and the captain of the Portuguese team.
During the rescue efforts, the Portuguese rescuer Armando María told Gil that he was a compatriot of Cristiano Ronaldo. The Venezuelan's reaction was immediate.
"In Spanish, I asked him: 'Do you know what Cristiano Ronaldo's shout is?' And, unbelievable as it may seem, the victim did the traditional shout and replied: 'Yesss!'" the rescuer recalled in an interview.
The anecdote quickly reached Portugal's Minister of Internal Administration, Luís Neves, who contacted the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, Pedro Proença. Proença then relayed the story directly to Cristiano Ronaldo, just a few hours before Portugal was set to play its match in the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup.
A rescue that went around the world
Gil Flores was rescued alive on July 2nd, after spending eight days buried under the rubble of the Galerías Playa Grande shopping center in Catia La Mar.
The operation mobilized rescue teams from seven countries, although it was the Portuguese specialists who played a decisive role by insisting on continuing the search when other international contingents considered it nearly impossible to find survivors.
Thanks to the work of their specialized dogs and sonar radar equipment, they managed to detect signs of life under the massive pile of rubble.
The security guard had become trapped during his night shift when the nine-story building collapsed due to the double earthquake with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 that shook northern Venezuela.
The small booth where he worked withstood the collapse and created an air pocket that allowed him to survive under more than 140 tons of rubble for eight days.
He was immediately transferred to the Caracas Clinical Hospital, where he is still recovering. According to the doctors, he is making favorable progress and has only sustained an eye injury and minor wounds on his arms.
It's not Ronaldo's first gesture
This is not the first display of solidarity from Cristiano Ronaldo with the victims of the Venezuelan earthquake.
Days ago, the footballer sent a message of encouragement to the boy Andrés Mieles, who was rescued alive after the earthquake but lost a leg due to his injuries. In addition, he sent the Panini World Cup sticker that the child wanted to complete his collection.
The earthquake on June 24 resulted, according to the official report, in nearly 2,954 fatalities and over 16,500 injuries. The United Nations also estimates that around 50,000 people remain missing, marking what is already considered the most devastating natural disaster recorded in Venezuela in over a century.
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