Venezuela Earthquakes Trap Deported Nationals in Collapsed Hotel, Families Report Missing
At least 1,900 people died in Venezuela’s twin earthquakes on June 24, 2023, with dozens of U.S.-deported migrants still missing after a hotel in La Guaira collapsed, according to reports from the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) and family members.
What Happened During the Earthquakes?
The earthquakes, measuring 6.1 and 6.2 on the Richter scale, struck 39 seconds apart, causing widespread destruction. The Hotel Santuario La Llanada in La Guaira, where over 140 U.S.-deported Venezuelans were detained, suffered severe structural damage. Survivors and families described the building collapsing as the tremors hit, with some deportees trapped inside.
“They were locked inside, and authorities refused to open the doors even as the roof caved in,” said Javier Salcedo, father of Anderson Daniel Salcedo Lozano, 22, who was rescued but lost both legs and has a 15% survival chance, according to a hospital report. “They were left to die.”
How Did the Deportees End Up in the Hotel?
Most of the 140 deportees, including Darwin Elizer Serrano López, 33, and Salcedo, were detained under U.S. immigration enforcement actions. Serrano, who had worked as an Uber driver in Chicago, was deported after a removal order. He was en route to Venezuela to celebrate his daughter’s 10th birthday when the earthquakes struck.
Venezuelan officials transported the deportees to the La Guaira hotel for “security checks,” according to a government video released after their arrival. Serrano’s family last heard from him on June 24, when he called to confirm his return home. His mother, Marta Lucía López, said she has searched hospitals and morgues without success.
Why Are Families Accusing the Venezuelan Government?
Families of the missing deportees allege the Venezuelan government prioritized detention over rescue efforts. Josana Rincón, whose son Carlos Blanco Rincón, 26, was among the trapped, criticized the Chavista administration for economic mismanagement that forced her son to migrate. “He was a very upright, very honest man,” she said. “If he hadn’t gone to the U.S., he would be with us.”
SEBIN did not respond to requests for comment. However, a survivor interviewed by Reuters described deportees being “locked inside” as the hotel collapsed, with rescuers arriving hours later.
What Is the Humanitarian Impact?
The earthquakes have exacerbated Venezuela’s ongoing crisis, which has driven 8 million Venezuelans to flee since 2014. The country’s humanitarian situation has worsened under interim leader Delcy Rodríguez, who took over after Nicolás Maduro’s ouster by U.S. special forces in January 2023.
As of July 2023, over 5,000 people remained injured or missing. The U.S. State Department has called for transparency in the search-and-rescue efforts, while advocacy groups warn of systemic neglect of vulnerable populations, including deportees.
“These people were innocent, yet they were kept in custody and ultimately left to die,” said Salcedo’s father, who is seeking international intervention to aid his son’s recovery.