Ivan Chino leads a persistent search for seven missing family members following devastating twin earthquakes in La Guaira, Venezuela.
Ivan Chino continues to search through mountains of shattered concrete in La Guaira to locate seven family members lost during twin earthquakes on June 24. While the official death toll has exceeded 5,000, many families remain in an emotional limbo as they wait for confirmation on the fate of missing relatives. Chino, who lost his parents, grandson, and two nieces in a collapsed apartment building, uses manual tools like shovels and hammers to navigate the debris. He noted that while determination remains high, a shortage of heavy machinery is currently the primary obstacle to faster recovery. Search coordinators, including Dani Herrera, report that while 280 people were rescued alive and 477 bodies have been recovered, the mission has shifted from immediate rescue to long-term recovery. For residents, the goal is to move beyond the missing persons list to provide certainty, allowing families to finally bury their loved ones and begin the mourning process.