Canada’s Venezuelan Community Monitors Loved Ones After Deadly Earthquakes
Members of the Canadian Venezuelan community are breathing a cautious sigh of relief after learning their family members survived a pair of powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela overnight Wednesday, even as concerns mount about the long road to recovery ahead.
The earthquakes, measuring magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, shook parts of the country and caused widespread damage across some of its most densely populated areas. At least 188 people have been confirmed dead, and hundreds more sustained injuries, according to authorities.
Relief Mixed With Worry
Luis Hernandez, who owns a Venezuelan café called Pomarosa in Toronto, said his immediate instinct was to reach his family back home.
“It was a big surprise. I was very worried because my family lives in Venezuela,” Hernandez said. “The first thing I tried to do was contact them.”
Hernandez, who has approximately 10 relatives in Caracas, including six of his siblings, confirmed that his loved ones are unharmed. However, he expressed deep concern that the full scale of the disaster has yet to unfold.
“It could be thousands of people that we don’t even know about,” he said.
Hernandez added that many Venezuelans abroad struggle to obtain reliable information through official government channels, forcing them to rely heavily on social media and word of mouth from family and friends to piece together what is happening on the ground.
“Today, half of our customers ask us: ‘Is everything OK? Is your family OK?'” he said.
Travel Disruptions Add to Anxiety
For Jennyfer Chirinos, an employee at the café, the earthquakes felt especially close to home. Her mother had arrived in Caracas on Tuesday — just one day before the disaster struck.
“We’re glad she arrived safely,” Chirinos said. “My whole family lives there and they are doing well at the moment.”
Still, Chirinos said she was shaken by the extent of the destruction and worried about how damaged infrastructure could disrupt travel plans. Her father, who was scheduled to fly to Canada the day after the earthquake, saw his flight canceled and has been forced to remain in Venezuela.
“He has to stay there for now because there is no way he can come,” she said, adding that family members are now waiting for authorities to provide further updates.
Red Cross Prepares for Extended Recovery
Humanitarian organizations are also bracing for what could be a prolonged recovery effort. Kelsey Lemon, vice-president of international cooperation at the Canadian Red Cross, said emergency responders in Venezuela are currently focused on search and rescue operations, medical care, and transporting the injured to hospitals.
“Last night there were two devastating earthquakes in one of the most populous areas of Venezuela,” Lemon said in an interview with Global News.
The Canadian Red Cross is working with teams on the ground to assess what support is needed and determine how Canada can assist. Ready-to-use supplies, including hygiene kits, solar lights, and other emergency essentials, are being prepared, along with personnel who could be deployed to help.
“We say the first 24 to 48 hours is search and rescue, then it’s about finding shelter, food and water,” Lemon said.
Authorities confirmed that rescue efforts were underway in some of the hardest-hit areas, where buildings collapsed and people were believed to still be trapped beneath rubble. Videos posted online showed dozens of people being treated outside a hospital in La Guaira, some on the ground and others on hospital beds.
Officials expressed solidarity with those injured or displaced by the disaster and praised first responders working tirelessly to save lives. With the full extent of the damage still emerging, humanitarian groups warned that recovery will be a long and challenging process.
