Earthquakes spur concern, calls to Venezuela from worried Long Islanders
Luis Solorzano, 55, of East Meadow, who owns the Venezuelan restaurant Chachapas, said his cousin in Venezuela told him after the earthquakes that he had no electricity or power but family members were alive. Credit: Newsday / James Carbone
Maxima Marcano said when two massive earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday, she called home to her native country searching for answers.
Parts of the South American country, already uprooted from political upheaval, were left in shambles Wednesday when a pair of 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes leveled buildings, killed at least 188 people and left another 200 either missing or trapped under rubble Thursday.
On Long Island, where the Venezuelan population numbers less than 3,000 people, transplants watched footage of the damage in their native country online or on TV, while simultaneously trying to reach loved ones.
Marcano, 65, who just moved to Fresh Meadows from Plainview, said all but one person from her friends and family were accounted for in the capital city of Caracas.
"Everything is fine in my home in Caracas, thank God," Marcano said Thursday. "Caracas was hit very hard yesterday. It’s very painful. The situation is not good, they don’t have hospitals or emergency places, there’s nothing prepared for this. People in Venezuela don’t know how to deal with this."
Relief efforts were still being organized, Venezuelan nationals and organizations said Thursday.
The earthquakes also severely damaged the airport in Caracas, with about half the flights from the metropolitan area to Caracas canceled Thursday.
The U.S. State Department said family and friends of Americans in Venezuela can call 888-407-4747 for information and available resources.
The American Red Cross in New York is working with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent societies to plan relief efforts in the coming days, Red Cross communications manager Frederic Klein said.
Residents walk amid the rubble of a building damaged in an earthquake Wednesday in Catia La Mar, Venezuela. Credit: AP/Pedro Mattey
"The overall humanitarian impact of the recent earthquakes in Venezuela is still being assessed, and our thoughts are with all those impacted by this disaster," Klein said in an email.
"Family members unable to contact loved ones in Venezuela as a result of the earthquakes can initiate a search through our Restoring Family Links program by submitting an International Reconnecting Families Inquiry Form or calling our free national helpline at 844-782-9441," Klein said.
Luis Solorzano, 55, of East Meadow, who owns the Venezuelan restaurant Chachapas, said he received a message from his cousin that said, "We are alive and don’t have electricity or power," he said.
Solorzano said right now he is left with online footage of the wreckage while waiting for relief.
"I wonder if people are still alive under concrete pieces and calling for help, trying to find their families. It’s sad. We are in shock and at the moment I’m stuck trying to figure it out," Solorzano said. "Venezuela is coming so far with a low economy and there are a lot of things they don’t have now, like medicine, food and power. This is more of a problem and I worry about the estimated number people missing and dead. I think we are waiting for the help and all the governments of this country and South America to send teams and resources."
Emergency crews work among the debris of a building in Caracas that sustained heavy damage in the 7.2 earthquake. Credit: Getty Images/Edilzon Gamez
Solorzano and Marcano said they hope to help with relief efforts to collect medicine and resources to send to the people of Venezuela.
The Los Angeles-based organization International Medical Corps has been assisting in Venezuela since 2019 and deployed emergency groups near Caracas to determine what aid is needed, organizers said.
Donations can be made to the organization through its emergency response page.
"As the situation evolves, we will continue adapting our response to address the most urgent health and humanitarian needs, working closely with government agencies and local partners to provide medical care and supplies, distribute hygiene and wound kits, and procure other materials as needed," spokesman Todd Bernhardt said.
Newsday's Bart Jones and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.
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