When news of a catastrophic seismic event off Venezuela’s coast reached neighboring Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday, it triggered an agonizing wave of uncertainty for thousands of Venezuelan expatriates, who spent desperate hours trying to connect with loved ones back home after two of the strongest earthquakes in the nation’s modern history.
Venezuela was hit by back-to-back powerful tremors that struck within 38 seconds of one another in near-identical offshore locations. The initial quake registered a magnitude of 7.2, followed immediately by an even stronger 7.5-magnitude shockwave. As of the latest update, rescue teams are still working through collapsed buildings and rubble-strewn neighborhoods, with the confirmed death toll already climbing to at least 188.
For Venezuelans who have relocated to Trinidad in recent years, the disaster has unfolded as a painful, helpless ordeal, as they rely on spotty communication and fragmented updates to track the safety of their family and friends. Alejandro Silva, a native of Guiria who has built a new life in Trinidad over the past five years, shared his raw anxiety in an interview with *Trinidad Express*.
“So far, things are holding together; the government has managed the response in an orderly way, and we haven’t heard reports of looting or widespread unrest,” Silva explained. “But this earthquake is unlike any disaster Venezuela has ever faced. It’s absolutely devastating. A close friend of mine is still searching for his 20-year-old son, who just started a new job in Caracas and has been missing since the quake. I can feel how much his family is hurting, and I keep praying they find him alive.”
Silva had been preparing for a long-awaited trip home in July, planning to bring back gifts and meet his three-month-old granddaughter for the first time. Now, those plans are on hold. “I was already setting aside things to bring home with me next month, but I’m going to wait a while before going back,” he said. Thankfully, his immediate family, most of whom live in Catia La Mar, have confirmed they are unhurt, though several relatives who reside in Caracas saw their homes suffer severe structural damage. “Pray for Venezuela,” he added.
Other migrants are still stuck in limbo, with no word from the people they are searching for. Valentina Silva-Romero said she has spent days reaching out to friends in Caracas via social media and phone, with no response. “One of my cousins was injured at work when the quake hit; he has a serious head injury, and I’m clinging to hope for good news,” she said. “I know multiple people who have been hurt, but there are still friends I can’t reach. I’ve tried messaging them on Facebook, and nothing. All I can do right now is wait and pray.”
Tony Carlos Rodríguez shared that his close family has been confirmed safe, but his sister’s entire home in Caracas was reduced to rubble. “So many people have been hurt, and so many are still digging through rubble looking for missing family and friends,” he said. “I keep getting constant WhatsApp updates about the situation, and it’s still hard to accept what happened. It feels like I’m stuck in a terrible nightmare I can’t wake up from.”
Another Venezuelan migrant, who requested only to be named Javier, described spending two interminable hours waiting for word about his sister, who lives in Maturín but commutes to work in Caracas. “I was sick with worry until I finally heard from her,” he said. “She’s safe, but her apartment in Caracas was completely destroyed. I also just found out that one of my old neighbors from Güiria is still unaccounted for, so I’m waiting for more updates, hoping for the best.”
Community leaders who support Venezuelan migrants in Trinidad say the disaster has left the entire local Venezuelan community reeling with grief. Andreina Brown, director of local migrant support organization La Casita, said she broke down in tears when she saw the first images of the destruction. “When I saw the news this morning, I just cried. It’s all so horrible, I’m still in shock,” she said. “Venezuelans have been coming in here crying all day, calling my phone sobbing. One of our members, Carlos Gonzales, an engineer from here, had gone back to Venezuela recently, and now he’s missing. His whole family is completely devastated.”
Angie Ramnarine, director of the La Romaine Migrant Support Group, said the grief has touched every part of the local Venezuelan community. “It’s just devastatingly sad. All the Venezuelans here are heartbroken,” she said. “One young boy in my class hasn’t stopped worrying about his grandmother, who lives in the affected area. Most of the migrants here are from the Tucupita Delta region, which escaped major damage, but the destruction in Caracas has hit all of us, because we all have people we love there.”