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In Venezuelan coastal paradise, scrap metal helps survivors after earthquake
🇵🇦 Panama /Disasters & Emergencies

In Venezuelan coastal paradise, scrap metal helps survivors after earthquake

From TVN Panamá · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Residents in the Venezuelan coastal town of Tucacas are scavenging for scrap metal to survive after a devastating earthquake destroyed buildings and claimed thousands of lives.
  • Among the debris of the La Mar Suites complex, individuals collect metal and other materials to sell, earning about $20 each for a ton of scrap.
  • The earthquake, which killed over 5,300 people nationwide, has left many, like former construction workers and vendors, struggling to find work and resorting to scavenging to make a living.

In Tucacas, a coastal haven in northern Venezuela, the remnants of the La Mar Suites complex stand as a stark testament to the nation's recent earthquake. What was once a bustling residential area, popular with tourists, is now a pile of rubble. Amidst the destruction, a group of individuals, their faces obscured by masks, sift through the debris. They are scavenging for scrap metal, a desperate measure to survive in the aftermath of a disaster that has claimed over 5,300 lives across Venezuela.

To these (the dead) they are no longer useful, they are no longer useful to anyone, but they are to us.

— ScavengerAn anonymous scavenger explains the grim reality of collecting scrap metal from earthquake debris.

These scavengers, some of whom were once vendors or construction workers, are not permitted to enter the unstable ruins. However, they collect metals and other materials that have fallen to the ground. "To these (the dead) they are no longer useful, they are no longer useful to anyone, but they are to us," one anonymous scavenger admitted, highlighting the grim reality of their situation. The earnings are meager; a ton of scrap metal, a mix of iron, aluminum, and copper, fetches about $60, which, divided among three people, amounts to roughly $20 each.

I sell coconut ice cream... but right now there is no work. We collect scrap metal to survive, without harming anyone, without disrespecting anyone.

— José Luis TerasJosé Luis Teras, 53, describes his current livelihood collecting scrap metal after losing his ice cream vending business due to the earthquake's impact.

José Luis Teras, a 53-year-old former ice cream vendor, now collects scrap to make ends meet. "I sell coconut ice cream... but right now there is no work. We collect scrap metal to survive, without harming anyone, without disrespecting anyone," he stated. Teras, who has also worked as a mason and electrician, proudly calls himself and his fellow scavengers "utilitarians," ready to take on any work. The scene is closely monitored by police, who occasionally reprimand scavengers for venturing too close to the unstable structures. Amidst the wreckage, discarded mattresses are also a target, as some believe people hid dollars inside them to protect against the country's currency devaluation.

We are utilitarians, boss, whatever you put us to do, we work.

— José Luis TerasJosé Luis Teras emphasizes his and others' willingness to do any work to survive after the earthquake.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by TVN Panamá in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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