Relatives of Venezuelans deported from the United States who died in Venezuela’s June earthquakes are demanding an apology from the interim government. Families say 146 deportees were detained in La Guaira state shortly before the twin tremors struck the coastal region on June 24 and that detainees were not able to leave or receive adequate protection.
Relatives allege authorities stripped the deportees of their phones and belongings, placed them in an old building controlled by intelligence agents, and did not have an evacuation plan when the quakes hit. They also question why detainees were held unlawfully and whether authorities prepared for emergencies. One mother says she searched for her son for five days after the quake and later found his body in an improvised morgue.
Across outlets, the core points are consistent: the deaths involve deportees returned from the United States, families attribute the fatalities to failures in duty of care, and they plan complaints domestically and internationally. Coverage also notes that the government’s account describes the detained group as 120 men, 19 women, and seven children, while describing broader context that the earthquakes—magnitude 7.2 and 7.5—killed about 6,500 people.
