Thousands of Venezuelans in Spain are desperately seeking news of loved ones after devastating earthquakes struck their homeland. Karen Romero, a resident of Barcelona, is among those affected.
In the wake of two powerful earthquakes that rocked Venezuela, Karen Romero, a 34-year-old woman living in Barcelona, has found herself on a frantic quest to locate her missing family members. The seismic events, which registered magnitudes of 7.5 and 7.2, have been deemed the most severe natural disaster to hit the country in three decades, primarily impacting Caracas and La Guaira.
The tremors occurred just minutes apart on a Wednesday morning, leading to widespread destruction. Romero’s family was directly affected; her brother-in-law Luis Jarayo, his wife Genesis Racamonde, and their seven-year-old son Luis Ángel Jayaro have all disappeared following the collapse of their building in Carballeda.
Romero recounted how the news first reached her: “A cousin went to check on them and saw the building completely down.” He quickly sent photos and videos that confirmed the extent of the damage. This prompted immediate action from Romero’s relatives in Venezuela who set out at 3:00 AM to reach the disaster site.
The journey was fraught with challenges due to blocked access routes, forcing them to rent a mototaxi for transportation. In an effort to gather more information about her family’s fate, Romero has taken to social media, sharing images of both the original structure and her loved ones in hopes that someone might provide leads on their whereabouts.
“They are very close-knit,” she said about her brother-in-law’s family. “My husband and his brother are twins; they’ve always been together.” This bond has made it even harder for her husband as he copes with uncertainty by immersing himself in work.
Romero’s mother remains unaware of some details surrounding this tragedy; while she knows that her son is missing, she has not yet been informed about the building’s collapse due to its emotional weight. “We feel like they’re here but also not here,” Romero expressed, reflecting on how families cope with such loss differently. She holds onto a glimmer of hope despite fearing that her relatives may be trapped beneath rubble.
This situation highlights a broader crisis affecting thousands of Venezuelans abroad who are grappling with similar fears for their families back home. The urgency is palpable as many scramble for any information regarding loved ones caught up in this catastrophe.
The Venezuelan government has declared this incident an emergency requiring international assistance as rescue efforts continue amidst challenging conditions. For those looking to support or find information about missing persons from these earthquakes, local community organizations are mobilizing resources and can be contacted through social media platforms or community centers across Spain.
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