The family of Venezuelan artist Onai Quiñonez has made an urgent plea for assistance, stating that he remains trapped beneath the rubble after a residential building collapsed in Caraballeda, La Guaira. This incident is part of the widespread destruction caused by two consecutive earthquakes that struck the nation on Wednesday, June 24, leading to tens of thousands of missing persons.
Mariela Roa, Quiñonez’s sister-in-law, communicated with Hyperallergic via WhatsApp, explaining in Spanish that Quiñonez was at the Yurre Beach residence when the quake occurred. Despite the devastation in the coastal city, official rescue operations have yet to reach their location. Roa emphasized the importance of raising awareness about Quiñonez’s predicament, stating, “He is alive, he is fighting, he’s been under the rubble for 41 hours.” While Hyperallergic couldn’t confirm Quiñonez’s status, estimates suggest hundreds are still trapped in La Guaira’s debris.
The earthquakes, occurring just a minute apart, registered magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, with the latter being the most powerful in Venezuela in over a century, according to experts. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez reported that the disaster has claimed at least 589 lives and injured over 3,000 people.
Quiñonez, who hails from Mérida in northwestern Venezuela, is celebrated for his vibrant and dynamic expressionist paintings. He was inside the building with his wife, artist Laura Silva, who was outside walking their dog, Petra, when the initial tremor struck. “She saw the building collapse, with my brother in it,” Quiñonez’s sister, Nahiara, shared in a Spanish audio message to Hyperallergic.
Efforts by family and friends to clear debris have been underway for two days, but Nahiara emphasized the need for specialized equipment. She mentioned, “The infrastructure is very weakened, so they need to work with special machines that are difficult to access right now,” highlighting ongoing challenges such as power outages and communication failures.
Quiñonez’s plight, though tragic, is not unique, as other artists like textile artist Siul Rasse and photographer Azalia Licón also search for missing loved ones in La Guaira. The creative community has responded swiftly, with Caracas’s GBG Arts organizing a fundraiser and New York-based illustrator Andrea Cáceres sharing donation and resource information. Globally, organizations like the I Love Venezuela Foundation and the Global Empowerment Mission are mobilizing aid.
These earthquakes occur amidst a backdrop of reduced humanitarian support following the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) by Trump, which experts believe has hampered relief efforts. Venezuela, already struggling with economic sanctions and political upheaval, faces compounded challenges following the costly operation that led to the detention of former President Nicolás Maduro.
