LA GUAIRA, Venezuela — Upon entering the ruins of the Jurel building, one hears two things: the murmur of a few curious passersby gazing at the tomb of memories left by the June 24 earthquakes and the creaking of the rubble. Three months have passed since two earthquakes in quick succession shook this area of the Venezuelan coast. But the devastation continues to resonate for those who haven’t been able to properly say goodbye to loved ones.
Cristian Verdú, 23, lost his brother, his cousin and his mother that day. The bodies of the latter two remain buried in the building’s rubble. A drone search confirmed their location, along with the bodies of other victims.
The building’s collapse is so severe that his search has become — to say the least — nearly impossible after months of searching. Anyone who knew my family knew my mother and knew that no matter what happened, I was always there for my mother,” said Verdú, who survived on June 24 because he was in Naiguatá, a town about 45 minutes from Playa Grande, where the Jurel is located. The search for Verdú’s family went viral following a video posted by journalist Maryorin Méndez in which Verdú pleaded for help recovering his loved ones’ bodies.
Others had been able to retrieve their family members’ remains. Finding himself alone, Verdú set up a tent near the Jurel to oversee the search for his mom. A Mexican rescue team tried to get her out, but the danger of the building collapsing was too great.
The Jurel building had 12 floors. Verdú’s mother was on the eighth floor and ended up on the sixth: Its collapse wasn’t like others in that the lower floors partially withstood the earthquake, but the upper floors collapsed one after another. What was revealed were the exposed rooms, bathrooms and halls.
A swimming pool sloping toward a precipice warns passersby that a tragedy occurred in the building. Verdú recounted that the Jurel was his family’s vacation home; they lived in Caracas, in the 23 de Enero neighborhood, a popular area in the western part of the city. On the day of the earthquakes, Verdú went for the first time to the San Juan drumming festival, a coastal tradition honoring St.
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