Searched for sister for hours: 'Thank God she was alive'

The Venezuelan community in Miami is mobilizing to support those affected by Venezuela's most devastating earthquake in more than two centuries. Ana Alcantara, a 50-year-old Venezuelan expatriate, described the harrowing experience of trying to reach her relatives in Caracas. After four tense hours, she finally made contact with her sister, expressing profound relief that she was alive. "Thank God she was alive," Alcantara said. Fearing aftershocks, her sister had evacuated their apartment and spent the night in Plaza Altamira, too afraid to return home. Alcantara voiced deep concern over the structural integrity of her sister's apartment building, noting reports that it might need to be demolished due to collapse risks. "I am not sure my sister's apartment can be saved. They have said the property must be demolished because there is a risk it will collapse. Where will my sister go then? I have to help her," she stated, her voice trembling. Alcantara recalled the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, drawing a stark comparison to Venezuela's current plight. "Once upon a time, Venezuela was Latin America's richest country. Now we are becoming like Haiti. We are ruled by a corrupt regime and the buildings have collapsed," she lamented. She arrived in Miami after leaving Venezuela in 1999, following Hugo Chávez's election, and has not dared to return since participating in an attempt to overthrow the regime seven years ago, fearing arrest. Despite her inability to return, she is actively participating in aid efforts. Donations of antibiotics and painkillers are being collected at a drop-off point in Doral, a Miami neighborhood with a large Venezuelan population. Alcantara also brought teddy bears for children, but organizers prioritized food and medicine. The restaurant El Arepazo in Doral has become a hub for the diaspora, with Venezuelans gathering to organize relief efforts the day after the twin tremors.

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Thank God she was alive.