The past 48 hours have been devastating for Venezuelan-Montrealer Aymara Agreda, as one of her relatives living in the Catia La Mar neighbourhood in La Guaria has been missing since Wednesday evening, when two catastrophic earthquakes hit Venezuela.
“Living abroad is very stressful with what is going on in Venezuela,” she said. “This is something that breaks my heart, honestly, to see all the damages and all the lost in life.”
Agreda’s family was recently able to locate a signal from her brother in law’s cousin, Andry Quiaro’s, cell phone in Venezuela, but they have not received any additional information on her whereabouts or well being. They have created and shared a number of missing person posters for Quiaro across different social media platforms in the hopes of learning more about her condition, but have yet to hear back.
Due to the horrific devastation, Agreda says that the infrastructure needed to rescue people from the rubble is lacking.
“The problem in Venezuela is that they need so much infrastructure to help, to be able to rescue people that are still alive. So, it seems like in the area where she was, in Catia La Mar, all the big structures are there and they are not able to take people out.”
While the situation can feel hopeless, Agreda says she encourages people in Montreal to donate items like water, non perishable food, first aid kits and even hard hats to aid in the rescue efforts if they can.
“If you know a Venezuelan just make sure that you have a word for them. We’re very far from our loved ones.”
As of Friday, the death toll in the country has risen to 920, with over 3360 people injured, according to Venezuelan authorities. For Montrealers with family or loved ones in the South American country, the situation is highly concerning.
Marco Russo, the owner of Bocadillo Bistro, a Venezuelan restaurant in the heart of Little Italy, is also very worried about his family and friends that have been impacted by the earthquakes. While he has been able to contact some of his loved ones overseas, he is still highly concerned for their well-being as they live through this tragedy.
“My cousin was living in our apartment with her two sons and they had to run,” he recalled. “When it happened, they managed to take out the car from the parking and then, the first night, they were sleeping on the car.”
For Russo, it is the uncertainty that has been the hardest to deal with during these troubling times.
“You don’t know what’s happening. You don’t know if your loved ones are okay, because you don’t know, and not knowing is the worst.”
Venezuelan-Montrealer Michelle Rodriguez recalls a feeling of utter panic when she first heard the news of the quakes.
“When you see something on the news and you have somebody that could be affected that you know, you go on panic mode right away. If you’re making dinner, you let everything burn because your mind goes completely, right away, to those people that you love,” she said.
Rodriguez says her heart is with all of the children in Venezuela who lost their families and will have to spend their first holiday season alone. She hopes people can rally to help them live through this tragedy.
“There are children that survived without their parents and they’re going to spend their first Christmas without their families, without their mothers, they’re going to need our help and that’s why just need to stay strong.”
People wishing to help those affected by the earthquakes can send donations to The Canadian Venezuelan Engagement Foundation, World Central Kitchen, Global Medic, Caritas Venezuela and the I Love Venezuela Foundation.
