La Guaira, Venezuela – In the aftermath of twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24, nearly 190 buildings collapsed, including the four apartment blocks of OPPE 27, a government housing complex in Caraballeda. Hundreds more structures were damaged beyond repair.

Venezuela began demolishing unstable buildings to prevent further collapse, including a tower in a housing complex in Catia La Mar, La Guaira, on July 30 after experts declared it at risk.

Glenda Viloria, a survivor who lived in OPPE 27 until last year, has recovered the bodies of six family members, including her mother and sister, from the morgue in La Guaira. She recalls the faces of the children she has seen, though many were unrecognizable due to decomposition.

Viloria shared the emotional toll of the disaster, saying, "I had to give the order for my mother’s body to be cut apart. They had to do it with a saw. The body was already decomposing and was about to burst."

She also expressed her personal commitment amid the tragedy: "I promised I was not going to rest until I found her son, Mateo." Viloria loved Mateo as if he were her own child and continued to care for him even after moving away.

The demolition efforts, while necessary for safety, have complicated the search for bodies, leaving survivors grappling with loss and uncertainty.

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