Three weeks after two powerful earthquakes struck northern Venezuela, a Cuban woman confirmed the news she had resisted accepting for days: her parents and other relatives, who had been missing since the disaster, died under the rubble.
Mabel Hernández, a resident of Venezuela, shared an emotional message on Facebook in which she spoke for the first time about the loss of her family following the earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 that occurred on June 24, just 39 seconds apart.
"Today many ask me how I am. It was truly a very, very hard blow. I am still searching for their bodies; it hasn't been easy for me. All I can say is that I am standing thanks to the strength that God has given me, because I believe that without Him I wouldn't be able to endure so much pain," he wrote.
The publication brought an end to weeks of uncertainty and hope. Two days after the earthquake, on June 26, Mabel reported that she, her husband, Pastor Hernán Ramos, and their son, Yosdany Quintana, had survived, but that her parents, a brother, a sister-in-law, and several nephews remained trapped under the rubble of a building in Naiguatá, La Guaira state.
The next day, she turned to social media again to ask for help and visibility.
"My family members are trapped, and they haven't been rescued yet. It has been three days, and they have really done very little. It’s a time of great desperation, but at the same time, I am trusting in the miracle that God is going to perform," she wrote.
On June 28, he/she posted a photograph of the machinery removing the debris from the building where his/her family was trapped.
"That's how it is still where my whole family is... We continue to intercede," she expressed alongside the image.
As the days went by, his messages began to reveal that the hopes of finding them alive were fading. On July 9, he shared a reflection that many interpreted as a farewell.
"Thank you, Abba, for allowing me to be with them for eight months before their departure. What comforts me the most is that I know everything was according to your will," she wrote.
The pain was also reflected in the words of his son, Yosdany Quintana, who on July 15 paid tribute to his grandparents with a message that encapsulates the drama experienced by the family.
"Just 39 seconds and right in front of my face, unable to do anything... What more do you want, life? You've already taken four from me... POWERFUL MOM and my SUPER GRANDPA," .
A tragedy that struck dozens of Cuban families
Mabel Hernández's story is part of the drama experienced by the Cuban community in Venezuela following the earthquakes on June 24.
According to the tracking conducted by citizen platforms and independent media, more than 30 Cubans have been reported missing, primarily in the coastal towns of Naiguatá, Caraballeda, Catia La Mar, and Los Corales, in the state of La Guaira.
Among the confirmed victims was also the family of Yadina de la Caridad Yáñez Linares. Six of its members were found dead on June 29 under the rubble of the Oasis Beach and Resjurel buildings in Playa Grande.
While family and friends desperately searched for information, the Cuban regime assured on June 27 that it had no "official confirmation" regarding deceased compatriots. However, by July 3, independent media had already confirmed the deaths of at least eight Cuban citizens.
According to the latest official balance released by Venezuelan authorities, the earthquakes resulted in 4,490 fatalities and 16,740 injuries, while estimates from international organizations placed the number of missing persons in the tens of thousands, making this catastrophe one of the worst natural disasters recorded in Venezuela in over a century.
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