Earthquakes in Venezuela: 79-year-old Argentine woman forced to sleep on the street

Two consecutive earthquakes have rocked Venezuela, leaving a trail of destruction in Caracas and several northern cities. Among the thousands affected is a 79-year-old Argentine woman who now faces sleeping on the street after her Caracas apartment was left on the verge of collapse.

“

In these conditions the residence of Mrs. Maria, who is of Argentine nationality residing in Venezuela, was left. She is alone in the country, without family and without help from her country. I have nowhere else to take her, she is at great risk there.

María Alicia Zurli Giraud Billoud, who has lived in Venezuela for 40 years, suffered a hip fracture that limits her mobility. She was in her apartment with her caregiver, Luis Reyes, when the tremors hit. Reyes managed to help her escape during the earthquakes. He later shared images on social media showing the severe damage to her room, with a crack running across the wall.

Reyes, who has been caring for Billoud since 2023 after she suffered a debilitating fall, expressed his distress on X (formerly Twitter). He posted photos of her damaged room, highlighting that she is alone in Venezuela without family or support from her home country. He appealed directly to Argentine President Javier Milei and the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs for assistance, stating there is nowhere else safe to take her.

“

When I met her, she was abandoned, in a very vulnerable situation. She was dehydrated, covered in feces, in a complicated situation.

Billoud, originally from Mendoza, Argentina, moved to Venezuela in 1978. She has two older brothers in Argentina, aged 73 and 76, but they also have health issues and have not become involved. Her ex-husband, her only contact in Venezuela, passed away years ago, leaving her completely isolated. Reyes described finding her in a vulnerable state, dehydrated and neglected, and has since taken on her care, effectively adopting her.

“

It became a habit, if no one wants to help her, well, here I am. In a way, I adopted her.