Thousands of working people in Venezuela and Colombia face immense hardship after devastating earthquakes, with at least 6,300 killed in Venezuela and 181 dead and over 2,500 injured in Colombia. Tens of thousands of displaced survivors in Venezuela urgently need housing, clean water, sanitation, and ongoing medical attention, often without any official state help. In response to this widespread suffering, a coalition of Latin musicians, including Marc Anthony, Luis Fonsi, and Chayanne, will perform at an international benefit concert livestreamed from Miami on August 16.
The concert, titled “Unidos por Los Nuestros,” aims to raise funds through online donations and ticket sales. Marc Anthony stated that “uniting for a common cause — taking action and helping fellow human beings facing hardship — is a duty we all share.” His nonprofit, Maestro Cares Foundation, will administer the funds alongside the Univision Foundation, channeling resources to various non-profit organizations.
The Human Cost of Capital's Neglect
Northern Venezuela was struck by 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes just 39 seconds apart on June 24, leading to the deaths of at least 6,300 people. More than six weeks later, survivors continue to search for missing friends and relatives, largely without state assistance. Western Colombia experienced a deadly 7.4-magnitude earthquake on Monday, killing 181 people and injuring over 2,500, marking what researchers call the country’s worst quake this century. This widespread devastation highlights the fragility of infrastructure and the systematic underinvestment in public safety for working-class communities.
Rodner Figueroa, co-founder of the I Love Venezuela Foundation, noted that the fundraiser comes at a crucial time for Venezuela, as public and media attention on the humanitarian crisis, which will last for years, begins to fade. He emphasized that “the need in Venezuela continues to be at a scale that is unbelievable.” The immediate and long-term needs include rebuilding homes, repairing schools and community spaces, and providing mental health support, all responsibilities that fall to private charity in the absence of robust state provision.
Charity: Managing Contradictions
The proceeds from “Unidos por Los Nuestros” will support organizations such as All Hands and Hearts, CARE, Global Empowerment Mission, Techo, and World Central Kitchen. While these groups provide essential services, their reliance on private donations underscores the systemic failure to protect and rebuild communities after natural disasters. The concert, organized by Cárdenas Marketing Network, Maestro Cares Foundation, Televisaunivision, and PIMIENTO Entertainment, offers a temporary palliative rather than addressing the root causes of vulnerability.
Other musicians are also mobilizing relief efforts. The Venezuelan band Rawayana founded Fundación El After to support impacted young people, and Shakira, Karol G, Ryan Castro, and J. Balvin rallied support for Colombia through social media. Metallica’s foundation donated $100,000 for Venezuela to Direct Relief. These individual and philanthropic gestures, while providing some immediate relief, ultimately serve to manage the contradictions of an economic system that prioritizes capital accumulation over collective well-being and resilient infrastructure.
Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel will host a separate benefit concert for earthquake recovery on August 23 at the Hollywood Bowl. 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. These institutions, often operating within the existing global financial architecture, channel funds through mechanisms that do not challenge the underlying conditions that leave populations vulnerable to such catastrophes. Marc Anthony himself has previously advocated and raised funds after Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in the ninth year, illustrating a recurring pattern where private charity steps in where public systems fail to protect the dispossessed.