Venezuelan earthquake victims still homeless nearly a year later

Nearly one year after earthquakes struck on September 24 and 25, 2025, residents in the Montaña Verde parish of Lara state, Venezuela, continue to await housing solutions. Communities in the Torres municipality report feeling abandoned by government agencies after losing their homes.

During a recent journalistic tour of the Matajey hamlet, residents expressed that state assistance was virtually nonexistent. Orlando Gómez, an affected resident, stated that the limited aid provided in the days following the tremors consisted only of a few sacks of cement distributed to a small number of people. Since then, the majority of those affected have received no material or institutional support.

The precarious housing situation extends to several rural areas within the Torres municipality, including Las Cocuizas, Pueblo Aparte, Morroco, and Matajey itself. These communities suffered severe structural damage to their homes from the initial earthquake and subsequent aftershocks.

Adding to the hardship, Yorlenni Flores, a Matajey resident, lost her home entirely. Her situation was compounded by having undergone a Cesarean section just 16 days before the disaster. Despite inspections by organizations like the Venezuelan Foundation for Seismological Research (Funvisis) and the Regional Housing Foundation (Funrevi), and a recent visit where budget approvals for new housing were promised, families report that official commitments remain unfulfilled.

As the one-year anniversary approaches, affected residents are urging authorities to revisit the Torres municipality, reactivate inspection plans, and finally proceed with the reconstruction of their lost homes.

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The few governmental aids were reduced to the first few days after the emergency, when some sacks of cement were delivered to a small group of people.