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Families of Venezuelans deported from US who died in quakes ask for apology
🇯🇲 Jamaica /Disasters & Emergencies

Families of Venezuelans deported from US who died in quakes ask for apology

From Jamaica Observer · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Relatives of Venezuelans deported from the U.S. who died in recent earthquakes are demanding an apology from Venezuela's interim government.
  • They allege 146 deportees were held against their will in a facility that collapsed during the tremors.
  • Families are seeking "moral compensation" and accountability, criticizing the government's handling of the situation and deportation protocols.

Relatives of Venezuelan migrants deported from the United States are demanding an apology from Venezuela's interim government, alleging that 146 deportees died after being held against their will in a facility that collapsed during recent earthquakes. The group was detained in La Guaira state just hours before twin tremors struck the coastal region on June 24.

My son did not have a criminal record either in the United States or in Venezuela… What were they doing carrying out an unlawful arrest?

— Oswadelis NunezThe mother of a deceased deportee questioned the legality of her son's detention.

According to the families, upon their return to Venezuela, the deportees had their cell phones and belongings confiscated and were housed in an old building managed by intelligence agents. Oswadelis Nunez, mother of Daniel Alejandro Nunez Ramirez, who would have turned 29 on August 26, questioned the legality of the arrest, stating her son had no criminal record in either the U.S. or Venezuela. She further alleged that authorities prevented detainees from leaving the building when the quakes hit and failed to implement an evacuation plan.

We know that the earthquake was a chance event, but why were they there without their belongings?

— Oswadelis NunezThe mother questioned the circumstances of the deportees' detention.

"We want moral compensation, an apology, (to know) why they did that, why that happened to our children," Nunez stated, adding that affected families plan to file domestic and international complaints. She also criticized the lack of clear information regarding the number of people deported, the number of survivors, and the number of fatalities. The detained group reportedly consisted of 120 men, 19 women, and seven children, according to a government Instagram post.

We want moral compensation, an apology, (to know) why they did that, why that happened to our children.

— Oswadelis NunezThe bereaved mother expressed demands for accountability and explanation.

Luz Maris Melendez, whose son Angelo David Mejia Melendez also died, asserted that the government "failed in its duty of care. They must be held accountable." The June earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude, resulted in approximately 6,500 fatalities. Nunez described finding her son's body in an improvised morgue after a five-day search across hospitals in La Guaira and Caracas.

The government failed in its duty of care. They must be held accountable.

— Luz Maris MelendezThe mother of another deceased deportee stated the government's responsibility.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jamaica Observer. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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