Three Venezuelan Family Members Die in Cali Earthquake Rubble

A family from Barinas, Venezuela, has been tragically found dead among the debris of the Vanessa building in Cali, Colombia, following a powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck the region on Monday. The victims, identified as 68-year-old Juan de Dios Vivas, his wife Yelitza González, 65, and their 16-year-old grandson José Juan Vivas, were among those reported missing after the partial collapse of the structure.

Their disappearance was confirmed after the building's upper floors gave way, crushing the apartments below. The complex deformation of the structure and the constant threat of further collapses severely hampered the efforts of rescue teams, including the specialized Topos de México brigade. Despite these challenges, rescue workers and miners worked through reinforced tunnels between concrete slabs in a desperate search for survivors.

While five people were rescued alive from the building by Tuesday, offering a glimmer of hope, the discovery of the Vivas family has raised the number of Venezuelan fatalities to five, according to Orlando Maniglia, Venezuela's ambassador to Colombia. The family had been in Cali since October 2025, with José Juan attending the MVP Baseball Academy. His parents had traveled from the United States to be with him and support the search efforts.

Juan de Dios Vivas and Yelitza González were retirees; he was a former merchant, and she had a long career in Venezuela's education sector. Their presence in Cali was to support their grandson's dream of reaching the Major Leagues, a goal now tragically cut short. The baseball academy has expressed its condolences on social media for the young athlete's death.