People deported from the U.S. are missing in Venezuela following a devastating earthquake — CNN
More than 100 Venezuelans, who were recently deported by the United States to their home country, were trapped under the rubble of the Santuario Hotel in La Guaira, which was destroyed by a series of powerful earthquakes.
The tragedy occurred just hours after the arrival of the deportation flight, and the total number of victims of the natural disaster in the region has already exceeded 1,943.
Local authorities have yet to provide comprehensive information on the fate of the victims, leaving the relatives of the missing in a state of complete uncertainty.
Relatives of those who were placed in a hotel after returning from abroad cannot determine whether their loved ones are in hospitals or still trapped under the rubble of the destroyed building.
Some eyewitnesses, however, managed to escape thanks to incredible efforts.
In particular, Ninoska Gutierrez said she was able to free herself from under the rubble on her own by clearing a path through a hole in the ceiling that had formed after the hotel’s structure collapsed.
Relatives of the victims are now demanding that the authorities provide at least minimal information about the missing or return the bodies of the deceased for a dignified burial.
However, official agencies have so far failed to establish effective communication with the families, which only exacerbates social tension and people’s despair.
At the same time, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has officially distanced itself from the events that occurred after the deportation.
Department officials emphasized that once the plane carrying the passengers landed in Venezuela, responsibility for their subsequent fate no longer rested with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
CNN reported this.
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