Cuban Woman Recovers Bodies of Six Family Members 43 Days After Venezuelan Earthquakes

After an anguishing 43-day search through rubble, Cuban Mabel Hernández, who resides in Venezuela, has confirmed the discovery and identification of the bodies of her parents, brother, sister-in-law, and nieces and nephews. These family members tragically lost their lives during the devastating earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela on June 24.

"Mission accomplished," Mabel announced, sharing the heartbreaking outcome of her weeks-long search on social media.

"After 43 relentless days, the bodies of my family members have been found. I can only thank God for giving me the strength to find and identify each one," Mabel expressed on Facebook on August 6.

Throughout the ordeal, Mabel held onto her faith, determined to fulfill a promise she made after the disaster.

"Mission accomplished, Heavenly Father. As I told you, I will honor them and won't stop until they are found," she wrote.

Her family members were buried under the debris of a building in Naiguatá, La Guaira state, during the June 24 earthquakes.

Mabel survived the catastrophe alongside her husband, Pastor Hernán Ramos, and her son Yosdany Quintana. This marked the beginning of a waiting period that stretched beyond six weeks, filled with uncertainty about when she might recover her family's remains.

In her social media posts, Mabel chronicled the emotional toll of a search that seemed endless.

On July 24, exactly one month after the tragedy, she was still awaiting news.

"A month has passed since the earthquake, and we still don't have their bodies. I can't believe it; it feels like a nightmare. It's been a severe blow, like something was ripped away from me," she wrote on Facebook.

Four days later, the pain was still raw.

"Some days I'm very strong; other days, I'm deeply depressed. But I know God will help me move forward, as He always has. I trust He will rebuild me, even though I'm in pieces," she shared on July 28.

On August 6, the long-awaited news finally arrived. While it wasn't the resolution any family hopes for, it ended the uncertainty, allowing Mabel to recover and identify her loved ones.

Now, Mabel faces a new challenge: saying goodbye.

Following the announcement, she reached out to the Cuban consulate in Venezuela for assistance in transporting her parents' ashes back to Cuba.

Her brother, sister-in-law, and nieces and nephews will remain in Venezuela.

"My brother, his wife, and their children will be buried together in a cemetery here in Venezuela," she explained.

Mabel's story has become one of the most closely followed among the Cuban community affected by the earthquakes, particularly those in the coastal areas of La Guaira state.

Initially, more than 32 Cubans were reported missing after the disaster.

The lack of information about their fates also sparked criticism of the Cuban authorities. On June 27, three days after the earthquakes, the regime stated that they had no "official confirmation" of Cuban casualties, even as families and independent media were already reporting victims and missing persons.

By July 3, at least eight Cubans had been reported dead.

One poignant story that resonated within the Cuban community was that of six family members whose bodies were recovered on June 29 from the rubble of the Oasis Beach and Resjurel buildings in Playa Grande.

The full extent of the tragedy continues to unfold weeks after the earthquakes.

An official report released on August 3 raised the death toll to 6,125, with more than 16,700 injured, according to the president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez. The disaster ranks among the deadliest recorded in Venezuela in over a century.

While authorities continue to tally the victims and many families await news of their missing loved ones, Mabel Hernández has at least found some closure in her ordeal.