Carmen, a grandmother from La Gomera, has reunited on the island with her daughter Yérica and her granddaughter after both lost their home due to the earthquakes that devastated northern Venezuela. One of her granddaughters died in the disaster.
Yérica and her daughter arrived this week in La Gomera after a journey that began in La Guaira, the area hardest hit by the tremors on June 24. Her mother, Carmen, was waiting for them in San Sebastián de La Gomera, where the family has rebuilt their life after years of emigration in Venezuela. The tragedy has taken away their home and, worst of all, one of Carmen's granddaughters, who perished under the rubble.
The return was made possible thanks to a flight arranged by the Government of Spain, which coordinated the evacuation of those affected from Venezuela. In Madrid, the airline Binter facilitated the connection to La Gomera, where the family reunited after days of anguish and displacement. The Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, welcomed the family during their stopover in Gran Canaria and conveyed his support.
The drama of La Guaira, epicentre of devastation
La Guaira, a coastal state in northern Venezuela, has been the area most affected by the earthquakes. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), thousands of people are moving to regions such as Táchira, Zulia, and Delta Amacuro. OCHA's spokesperson for Latin America and the Caribbean, Veronique Durroux, noted that humanitarian aid is being assessed as rescue operations decrease eleven days after the disaster.
The Venezuelan government reported that 10,702 people remain in 79 temporary camps, with a capacity for 14,599 places. La Guaira has the highest number of displaced people: 6,655 individuals in 20 camps, 11 of which are being expanded. In Caracas, there are 37 camps with 8,078 places, of which 3,234 are occupied. The situation remains critical, but Carmen's family has managed to escape that hell.
The reunion in La Gomera: a ray of hope
For the residents of La Gomera, Carmen's story and that of her family reflect the reality of many Canarian families who emigrated to Venezuela and who now, with the crisis and natural disasters, are returning to their roots. The reunion, although tinged with mourning, has been a relief. "All the comfort that can be given in these moments of devastation," Torres said about the institutional support.
The family, who lost their home and a loved one, is now beginning to rebuild their life on the island. For the readers of La Gomera, this news serves as a reminder of the solidarity that binds the Canaries with the diaspora. The humanitarian flight and Binter's collaboration have been key, but the real journey is just beginning.
Carmen, Yérica, and her granddaughter now face bureaucracy to regularise their situation and access aid. The San Sebastián de La Gomera City Council has already offered psychological and social support. "Material things can be recovered, but what they have lived through is hard," comments a municipal source. Meanwhile, the family expresses gratitude for the affection received and requests privacy.
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