Families of Venezuelans deported from US who died in quakes demand apology
The families say authorities failed to protect 146 deportees detained in La Guaira before the deadly June earthquakes.
Three female relatives of Venezuelan migrants who were deported from the United States and who tragically died in the earthquakes that struck their home country on June 24, 2023, have demanded an apology from Venezuela's interim government. The 146 deportees were detained in La Guaira state just hours before the twin tremors devastated the coastal region.
Upon their return to Venezuela, they were stripped of their possessions and placed in an old building controlled by intelligence agents. Oswadelis Nunez, the mother of one of the deceased, asked why her son, who had no criminal record, was subjected to an unlawful arrest and why authorities failed to prepare an evacuation plan when the quakes hit.
She called for moral compensation, an apology, and better deportation protocols, criticizing the lack of information provided about the situation of deportees. According to an Instagram post by the government, the detained group consisted of 120 men, 19 women, and seven children. Luz Maris Melendez, whose detained son also died, echoed similar sentiments, stating that the government failed in its duty of care and must be held accountable.
The earthquakes, which measured 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, claimed the lives of approximately 6,500 people.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
