Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela this week, leaving at least 920 people dead, more than 3,360 injured, and tens of thousands missing as families turned to social media in desperate searches for loved ones amid what advocates say is a critical shortage of official information and international rescue support.
The 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude quakes—among the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century—caused widespread devastation across Caracas and surrounding areas same week. La Guaira state, north of the capital, suffered some of the heaviest damage and casualties. Government figures reported 172 people remained trapped under rubble, while independent online registries documented between 24,000 and 51,000 people missing, reflecting what observers describe as a glaring lack of official data on those unaccounted for.
Families Search Online as Official Channels Fall Short
With communication patchy and government statistics sparse, social media and online registries became crucial tools for Venezuelans seeking information about missing relatives. Families created digital flyers on WhatsApp, Facebook and X with their loved ones' details, while some rushed to search beneath collapsed buildings themselves.
Vanesa Marcano, 31, posted photos from Madrid of her uncle and aunt who live in La Guaira state. Her uncle's daughter and 7-year-old grandson, visiting from the United States, were also missing. "It's a feeling of impotence and uncertainty," Marcano said. "I know you must stay calm and focus on the actions you can take. But it's very easy to fall into despair."
Jhoyser Concalves, a Venezuelan from the northern coastal city of Catia La Mar, said he was talking to his partner and her daughter just minutes before the shaking—the last he heard from them. When the earthquake stopped, Concalves ran to their apartment building, where they lived on the sixth floor. He found only debris and people desperately trying to rescue neighbors from the rubble. Concalves posted a flyer reading "MISSING" on X and Facebook. "They are pulling people out of the building alive. So I still have hope that they are in there alive," he said.
Social Media Restrictions Hamper Life-Saving Communication
The search was complicated by the country's restrictions on social media and messaging platforms. Sites including X and messaging app Signal were blocked in the second year by then-President Nicolás Maduro in an attempt to suppress communication among those who rejected his claim of victory in the presidential election. Former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez became the acting president same year after the U.S. captured and removed Maduro from power.
On Thursday, the U.N. human rights mission in Venezuela issued a statement calling on the government to lift local restrictions on social media, saying timely access to reliable information can save lives. Shortly after the U.N.'s request, Venezuelans in the country were able to access X.
Diaspora Struggles to Reach Loved Ones
Outside the country, such sites became even more important for many of the 8 million people who have migrated from Venezuela in recent years and were unable to check on their loved ones. Elibel Tovar's 70-year-old father moved to Brazil more than 20 years ago but was in La Guaira for business. Félix Ramón Tovar Hernández was planning to travel Friday to Chile for his first reunion with his son in more than a decade, but Tovar, 38, said he hasn't heard from his father.
"I feel powerless because I don't know how this is affecting him: the shock, the decisions he's having to make, whether he is physically okay, or even whether he is still alive," Tovar said. "Being in Chile makes it very difficult to get information, and everything we see feels confusing."
In Madrid, Marcano said she was trying to stay calm for the sake of her 1-year-old daughter. "You keep hoping someone will organize a fundraiser or some kind of initiative where you can help. But the truth is, from far away, there is very little you can do," she said.
Rescue teams were struggling to reach those buried under debris, and there was an urgent need for international assistance.
Why This Matters:
The Venezuela earthquake crisis reveals how institutional failures and information gaps compound human suffering during disasters. With more than 50,000 people reported missing and rescue teams struggling to reach victims, the lack of official data forces families to rely on informal networks at a moment when every hour matters for survival. The government's earlier restrictions on social media platforms—imposed to suppress political dissent—directly interfered with life-saving communication, prompting international human rights monitors to intervene. For the 8 million Venezuelans who have migrated in recent years, the information vacuum leaves them powerless to help or even confirm whether their loved ones survived. The urgent need for international assistance underscores how natural disasters hit hardest when public institutions lack the capacity or transparency to coordinate effective rescue and recovery efforts.