Hola !! Bienvenidos queridos visitantes 🌷 | Hello!! Welcome dear visitors 🌷

It was around 6:05 pm when we felt a small tremor in my city, like we were moving on a ship. "It's an earthquake," a brother commented in a somewhat loud and fearful voice. My family and friends and I were at a Christian meeting in the afternoon, as we usually meet on Wednesdays. The day was pleasant, perfect for enjoying the service, and it had barely begun when we were told to evacuate. We left in an orderly fashion toward the parking lot, feeling fearful. Many were murmuring, and panic was evident on their faces. We started watching the news that was immediately circulating on WhatsApp statuses...

Two strong earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, struck northern Venezuela at 6:05 pm local time. The first quake was centered between the cities of Yumare (Yaracuy) and Montalbán (Valencia), causing dozens of buildings to collapse.

The news kept coming in, and while we were at the meeting they urged us to remain calm and then told us to evacuate the place directly to our homes in case there were more aftershocks, which usually happened afterward. More than 130 aftershocks were recorded after the devastating earthquakes.

We couldn't believe it, watching the news at home. People were running into the streets in a panic and fear. Among the most affected areas are La Guaira and the capital (Caracas, Venezuela), and of course, the surrounding municipalities. The president declared a state of emergency for the country due to the devastation. Buildings collapsed with people still inside, and many have lost their lives, their homes, their families, and friends. My heart ached with sadness to see so much suffering and pain among those affected, and even more so, the inability to do anything. But hope is all we have left. We pray to God for our Venezuelan brothers and sisters, friends, and family affected, and we also contribute in any way we can to provide support in the midst of this situation, both physical, emotional, and spiritual.

For now, rescue efforts continue, providing care to the injured and those rescued from under the rubble. Many people have suffered greatly as a result of this; the anguish and uncertainty of having everything one day and nothing the next is distressing. I know that for us Venezuelans, this situation is difficult to face, and because of the Vargas/La Guaira tragedy in 1999, many people will struggle to overcome this tragedy again. If it was hard for them to overcome that one, I don't want to imagine this one.

There are truly no words to express the feeling I get seeing my Venezuela in these conditions. A lot of help and support is needed, but one thing I do know is that Venezuelans are always united. Even if we are strangers, the support for other Venezuelans is always there, and that unity will always characterize my land and its good people. STRENGTH TO VENEZUELA!.