Venezuelan exiles in Miami mobilize to send aid after earthquakes

In Doral, Florida, the heart of Miami's Venezuelan exile community, a palpable sense of desperation and anguish has taken hold following the June 24 earthquakes in Venezuela. Thousands of residents are caught in a collective waiting room, unable to travel to their homeland to assist in rescue efforts.

"All of this has led us to an extreme situation of desperation and anguish; we cannot confirm if our parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, children, or nephews are alive or injured or trapped or dead," said Miguel Ferró, a theater producer and businessman, to EL UNIVERSAL. Immediately, a network of family and friends sprang into action, using WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and X to cross-reference data with neighbors, friends, rescuers, and medical personnel in Venezuela.

Oly García, a Venezuelan who has lived in Doral for 11 years, described the agonizing wait after learning of the earthquake. "These were the slowest hours of my life. It's impossible not to have the worst thoughts in your head. You never think of the best, but of the catastrophic," she told the Gran Diario de México. At the Iglesia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, Venezuelans from South Florida gather daily to collect supplies. "It is very distressing not to know where our loved ones are," said María Eugenia Ortiz, who also criticized the Venezuelan government for its perceived inaction.

Responding to the urgent need, Global Empowerment Mission (GEM), a Doral-based disaster relief organization, partnered with the city, Inter Miami CF, and various Venezuelan groups to collect and send aid. They are requesting non-perishable food, hygiene items, water, batteries, medicine, diapers, and baby food. Actress Gabriela Vergara highlighted the importance of cash donations, explaining they allow for quicker purchases near the affected zones, avoiding transport delays and enabling a more responsive approach to evolving needs. GEM has reportedly sent over $1 million in aid and over 120,000 kilograms of donations to Venezuela.

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Todo esto nos ha llevado a una situación extrema de desesperación y angustia; no podemos confirmar si nuestros padres, hermanos, tíos, hijos o sobrinos están vivos o heridos o atrapados o muertos