Pathologist Rules Out Common Graves for Unidentified Earthquake Victims

Pathologist Mileida Bohorquez has addressed public concerns regarding the alleged excavation of common graves for unidentified victims of recent earthquakes. Videos and photographs circulating on social media showed the burial of more than 150 unidentified bodies at the La Esperanza cemetery in Catia La Mar, La Guaira.

Bohorquez distinguished between a common grave, which is a single excavation for numerous bodies without individualization, and the practice observed at La Esperanza. She explained that the images circulating confirm that individual graves were dug for each victim. These graves are separated and marked with identification codes and the date of death.

According to the forensic pathology specialist, each coffin contains the same identification data. This information is also meticulously recorded in a file that includes photographs of the deceased, along with reports from forensic doctors, dentists, and anthropologists. This detailed documentation ensures that families can later identify and exhume the bodies for proper Christian burial.

Bohorquez stated that the La Esperanza cemetery in La Guaira will serve as a temporary site until the victims' families can recognize and claim their loved ones. This clarification aims to dispel fears of mass, undifferentiated burials and assure the public that a protocol is in place for the respectful handling and eventual identification of the deceased.