Venezuela quakes: 40,000 missing, families turn to social media

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A father holds his daughter's hand as she dresses as a fairy. A young man in a pilot uniform stares proudly at the camera. A family embraces on a soccer field. These are the images Venezuelans are posting online, desperately searching for loved ones missing after two powerful earthquakes struck Wednesday evening. Health Minister Carlos Alvarado said the death toll has reached about 235, with at least 4,300 injured. The number is expected to rise after the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude quakes, among the strongest to hit Venezuela in over a century. With phone lines damaged, social media has become a lifeline. Independent online registries list up to 40,000 people as missing, far more than the government's official count. Families are creating digital flyers on WhatsApp, Facebook and X with photos and details of their relatives. Among them is Vanesa Marcano, 31, who posted photos from Madrid of her uncle and aunt in La Guaira state, north of the capital Caracas. The area suffered heavy damage. Her uncle's daughter and 7-year-old grandson, visiting from the United States, are also missing. "It's a feeling of impotence and uncertainty," Marcano said. "I know you must stay calm and focus on the actions you can take. But it's very easy to fall into despair." Jhoyser Concalves was talking to his partner and her daughter minutes before the earthquake. He hasn't heard from them since. He ran to their apartment building and found only debris. "They are pulling people out of the building alive," he said. "So I still have hope." The search is complicated by government restrictions on social media. In August 2024, then-President Nicolás Maduro blocked sites including X and the messaging app Signal to suppress communication after disputed elections. The U.N. human rights mission in Venezuela called on the government to lift the restrictions, saying access to information can save lives. Shortly after the U.N.'s request Thursday, Venezuelans inside the country could again access X. For the millions of Venezuelans who have left the country, online searches are even more critical. Elibel Tovar Lanas, 38, lives in Chile. He has not heard from his 70-year-old father, who was in La Guaira for business. Lanas registered his father on a website for the missing. "Being in Chile makes it very difficult to get information," he said. "Everything we see feels confusing." In Madrid, Marcano said she tries to stay calm for her 1-year-old daughter. "You keep hoping someone will organize a fundraiser," she said. "But the truth is, from far away, there is very little you can do."