Tens of thousands of displaced survivors in Venezuela still lack housing, clean water and medical care more than six weeks after twin earthquakes killed at least 6,300 people, a crisis that's now compounded by a deadly 7.4-magnitude quake in Colombia that killed at least 181 and injured over 2,500.
Marc Anthony, Luis Fonsi, Chayanne, Feid and Jay Wheeler will headline "Unidos por Los Nuestros" — "United for Our Own" — a benefit concert livestreaming from Miami's Kaseya Center on Aug. 16 at 6 p.m. ET. The event will air on Univision, ViX, WAPA and TelevisaUnivision radio stations, iHeartLatino and Venevision Play in Venezuela. Proceeds from ticket sales and online donations will fund rebuilding homes, repairing schools and community spaces, supporting children and providing mental health support.
A Dual Crisis Demands Urgent Response
The concert was initially organized after 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes struck northern Venezuela just 39 seconds apart on June 24. Organizers expanded the mission Monday to include Colombia following what researchers called the country's worst earthquake this century. "Uniting for a common cause — taking action and helping fellow human beings facing hardship — is a duty we all share," Anthony said. His nonprofit Maestro Cares Foundation will administer funds alongside the Univision Foundation.
The money will support All Hands and Hearts, CARE, Global Empowerment Mission, Techo and World Central Kitchen. In Venezuela, people are still searching for missing friends and relatives more than six weeks later, often without any official help. Rodner Figueroa, co-founder and vice president of the I Love Venezuela Foundation, which channels resources to nonprofits working in Venezuela as a Global Empowerment Mission partner, said the fundraiser comes at a crucial time. "The biggest challenge right now is to keep the moment alive," Figueroa said, adding, "The need in Venezuela continues to be at a scale that is unbelievable."
Artists Across Latin America Unite
Dozens of Latin television personalities, journalists and other celebrities will help host the event, including Don Francisco, longtime host of "Sábado Gigante," and former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres. Additional music acts include Piso 21, Gente de Zona, Elena Rose, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Ricardo Montaner, Mau y Ricky and Olga Tañón. The performers span Latin genres, from salsa and reggaeton to pop, and join from across Latin America, including Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina, Cuba and Puerto Rico.
Some Colombian artists committed to the fundraiser well before they knew an earthquake would soon affect their own homeland. Urbano Latino musician Feid, born in Medellín, has been reaching out to his more than 14 million Instagram followers this week to support aid groups there. Latin music also shares a special connection with Cali, Colombia, one of the hardest-hit cities and a globally recognized hub for salsa music and dance.
Sustained Mobilization Beyond One Night
Anthony said he advocated and raised funds after Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in 2017. "We have all witnessed the devastation that has affected our communities at some point — we have seen it happen time and again in many of our countries and across the globe," he said. "The need is immense."
"Unidos por Los Nuestros" is being organized by Cárdenas Marketing Network, Maestro Cares Foundation, TelevisaUnivision and PIMIENTO Entertainment. Other musicians are also mobilizing relief efforts. Venezuelan band Rawayana founded Fundación El After shortly following the disaster to support impacted young people. Shakira and other Colombian musicians, including Karol G, Ryan Castro and J. Balvin, rallied support for Colombia on Monday through social media. Metallica's foundation donated $100,000 for Venezuela to humanitarian organization Direct Relief.
Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel will host a benefit concert for earthquake recovery Aug. 23 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, his last performance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic before he joins the New York Philharmonic. Proceeds from Dudamel's "A Concert for Venezuela" will benefit recovery funds of the United Nations Development Programme and the CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean. Beck, Natalia Lafourcade and Carlos Vives will join Dudamel.
Why This Matters:
As public and media attention fades on Venezuela's humanitarian crisis — one that will last years — sustained fundraising and community support become essential to addressing the needs of tens of thousands who've lost homes and livelihoods. The expansion to include Colombia demonstrates how vulnerable communities across Latin America face compounding disasters without adequate institutional resources for recovery. The concert's focus on long-term rebuilding, mental health support and community infrastructure acknowledges that earthquake recovery isn't a short-term emergency but a multi-year process requiring collective action. When official government responses fall short and survivors search for missing loved ones without help, civil society organizations and cultural figures fill critical gaps in delivering aid, clean water, medical care and shelter to those who need it most.