Venezuela Earthquake Survivors Pay Up to $1200 Daily for Rescue Efforts

Desperate survivors of Venezuela's recent earthquakes are resorting to extreme measures, including paying exorbitant daily fees for heavy machinery, to search for their missing relatives amidst the rubble. The rising death toll and the slow pace of official rescue operations have pushed families to fund their own recovery efforts, highlighting a stark divide between those who can afford help and those who cannot.

One poignant case is that of Eliezer Alfonzo, a former Venezuelan baseball star. Following the June 24 earthquake, Alfonzo organized a private rescue operation in La Guaira to find his wife, Patricia, and 16-year-old daughter, Eliana, who were in a collapsed hotel. He assembled a team of about 50 people, including experienced excavators from Tumeremo mines, and transported heavy machinery from Puerto La Cruz. This independent operation aimed to expedite the search, initially hoping to find them alive, but later focusing on recovering their bodies.

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I feel devastated and powerless after so many days of work without obtaining the result I expected.

The financial burden of such an operation is immense. Alfonzo reportedly spent around US$1200 per day for each piece of heavy equipment, such as cranes, hydraulic hammers, and mechanical shovels. Beyond machinery rentals, he covered the costs of feeding his team and managing the logistics for round-the-clock operations. Personal belongings of his family were found during the excavation, but tragically, the search concluded with the discovery of Patricia and Eliana's bodies. Alfonzo expressed devastation and a sense of powerlessness, suggesting that a larger-scale search could have been possible with more support.

For the majority of affected families, these costs are insurmountable. Many are waiting for privately hired equipment, like that used by Alfonzo, to finish its work in one location before attempting to use it in nearby buildings where other relatives are missing. The reliance on solidarity and the high price of specialized rescue equipment underscore the profound challenges faced by survivors in the aftermath of the disaster.

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The search tasks could have been much broader if I had had more support.