Venezuelan couple visiting home caught in devastating earthquakes

Joel Meza, 37, and Viryusbeth González, 35, left Venezuela for Argentina over eight years ago. They recently returned to their home country for the first time since their departure, a trip filled with longed-for family reunions, including their 3-year-old daughter Julia meeting her cousins.

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We don't know if we'll be able to return on Saturday. Anyway, the important thing is that we are okay, that was the first thing we told our family and friends in Argentina and Venezuela because everyone was very worried.

Their visit, however, coincided with a catastrophic event: two major earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude, struck the country. The tremors triggered widespread panic, severe structural damage, and a continuous series of aftershocks. The immediate aftermath saw a grim toll of 188 confirmed deaths, 1,500 injured, and 6,600 people reported missing.

The couple, who had planned to return to Argentina the following Saturday, now face uncertainty due to the widespread chaos. All airports are closed, power outages are frequent, hospitals are overwhelmed, and the aid system is struggling to cope with the scale of the disaster. "We don't know if we'll be able to return on Saturday. Anyway, the important thing is that we are okay, that was the first thing we told our family and friends in Argentina and Venezuela because everyone was very worried," Joel told LA NACION.

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After the 7.1 earthquake in Venezuela, we are fine, thank God. Thank you all for your prayers.

Joel had shared a photo of himself with his nephews in a park just hours before the earthquake. They were staying in Valencia, about two hours from Caracas, where the tremors were felt intensely. "The shaking yesterday was horrible, a tremendous scare," Joel recounted. When the earthquake began, their immediate priority was to find shelter, especially for the children playing outside. Fortunately, the house where they were staying, belonging to Joel's brother, was built to be earthquake-resistant, providing them with a safe refuge.

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The shaking yesterday was horrible, a tremendous scare.