Carolina Munoz prays in the rubble of a collapsed Venezuelan apartment building as families search for missing loved ones.
Carolina Munoz was captured in a poignant moment of prayer by photojournalist Ariana Cubillos while searching for her son, Carlos Munoz, in the debris of a collapsed apartment building. The scene took place in Caraballeda, La Guaira, a region devastated by twin earthquakes on June 24. The disaster has left the nation in a state of catastrophe, with the death toll surpassing 5,300 and an estimated 50,000 people still missing. While the government has provided some relief, many families express frustration over the slow pace of the recovery efforts. Public Works Minister Juan José Ramírez defended the structural integrity of the buildings, noting that the simultaneous tremors were of an unprecedented scale. The administration announced that the government of Delcy Rodríguez has donated 200 homes to affected families, though the World Bank estimates the total damage at $19.6 billion. As reconstruction begins, many survivors remain in temporary tents, grappling with the loss of their homes and the long road to recovery.