Volunteers Reconstruct Memories Recovered from Chacao Earthquake Debris

In the aftermath of a devastating double earthquake that struck Chacao, Venezuela, on June 24, a dedicated group of volunteers is undertaking a sensitive mission: reconstructing memories from the rubble. Their focus is on organizing and cleaning personal belongings recovered from collapsed buildings, particularly the Petunia and Obelisco structures.

The initiative, spearheaded by the Chacao municipality's Office of Social Development and Support, involves around 300 volunteers. Their painstaking work includes cleaning dust and disinfecting items such as photographs, university degrees, identity cards, birth certificates, and property titles. The goal is to return these precious remnants of lives lost to the victims' families with dignity.

Carlos Luis García Povea, director of the Office of Social Development and Support, described the arduous process. "We removed all the dust, cleaned the photos, album by album, so they wouldn't have so much dirt. We dedicated ourselves to doing the work with care. It was an arduous task of identifying, cleaning, and arranging, so that when the families came, they would see something dignified, well-ordered," he explained.

One poignant example is the recovery of a finished pointillism artwork by Rosa Pérez, an 87-year-old resident. Along with her identity card, this artwork, bearing her signature and the year '2025', was among the few items salvaged from her apartment in the Petunia building. Such recovered items represent the only tangible connection many families have left to their deceased loved ones.

After meticulous classification, primarily guided by surnames to group items by family, the recovered belongings were made available for collection by relatives starting July 12. Families must present their identification to claim items, with a formal record kept of each retrieval to ensure accountability and control. This effort underscores the community's commitment to providing solace and preserving the memory of those lost in the tragedy.

“

We removed all the dust, cleaned the photos, album by album, so they wouldn't have so much dirt. We dedicated ourselves to doing the work with care. It was an arduous task of identifying, cleaning, and arranging, so that when the families came, they would see something dignified, well-ordered.