Relatives pay up to $1,200 daily for machinery to rescue loved ones under rubble in La Guaira

In La Guaira, Venezuela, families are resorting to expensive private rescue operations, spending up to $1,200 per day on heavy machinery, to search for loved ones buried under rubble following a devastating double earthquake on June 24. The prolonged wait for official assistance has compelled desperate relatives to take matters into their own hands.

Equipment such as cranes, hydraulic hammers, excavators, and lighting systems for night work have been contracted by affected families. The official toll from the tragedy has climbed to 3,342 deaths and 16,740 injuries, with 6,462 people rescued alive and 17,345 losing their homes. The high cost of machinery highlights the financial burden placed on those already suffering immense loss.

One poignant case is that of Eliezer Alfonzo, a prominent Venezuelan baseball player. He established a makeshift rescue camp in a La Guaira parking lot, mobilizing miners, securing food supplies, five heavy machines, and a team of 50 men. His personal mission was to find his wife, Patricia, and 16-year-old daughter, Eliana, who were trapped in a collapsed hotel. Despite organizing his own logistics, including transporting machinery from Puerto La Cruz and hiring experienced underground workers, Alfonzo's search tragically ended with the recovery of his wife and daughter's bodies.

"I am devastated," Alfonzo expressed on Saturday, July 4, conveying his helplessness despite his strenuous efforts. His sister, Hensily Alfonzo, reported that the family received no assistance on the first day after the earthquake, resorting to digging with their bare hands before Alfonzo could arrange for machinery. The family even directed the excavators themselves, as the hired operators lacked experience working on collapsed structures.

The Liga Mayor de Beisbol Profesional extended condolences to the Alfonzo family, acknowledging the loss of Patricia and Eliana. The situation in La Guaira underscores a critical gap in disaster response, where private citizens are forced to bear the financial and logistical burden of rescue efforts amidst a slow official response.

“

I am devastated. I feel powerless not to see the results of so much effort.