Argentine Footballer Loses Wife, Children in Venezuela Quake

Argentine footballer Lucas Trejo, who plays for Venezuelan second-division club Sport Maritimo La Guaira, lost his wife, Yanina, and their two children, Aaron and Ainoa, in last week's earthquake. The earthquake was the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century.

Trejo, 38, was at the team's training camp in Caracas when the earthquake struck. As soon as he received the news, he rushed to his home in La Guaira, located about 30 kilometers north of the capital and one of the hardest-hit areas. When he arrived, he found only devastation. No trace remained of his seaside home.

Trejo's brother-in-law, Ricardo Ardiles, told CNN Espanol that the footballer was emotionally devastated. “There was no sign that the building had ever existed. We hoped they might not have been there,” he said.

Over the next three days, Trejo searched the rubble alone in an effort to find his family. He appealed for assistance and requested heavy machinery to aid the search. His friends and teammates echoed the appeal in a video message. Robert Garces, a player for Metropolitanos FC, said, “Right now, there is only one machine, and it is not enough.”

The search ultimately ended in tragedy. On Sunday, Sport Maritimo La Guaira said in a social media post that it was deeply saddened by the irreparable loss suffered by Trejo and his family. The club also shared a family photograph showing all four family members. “Lucas, you are not alone. Your Maritimo La Guaira family stands with you,” the club said.

Trejo was not the only figure in Venezuelan football affected by the disaster. The tragedy has cast a deep shadow over the country's football community. On Friday, the Venezuelan national team and the Venezuelan Football Federation (FVF) announced that promising young footballer Imvart Berroteran was among those killed.

The 18-year-old had represented Venezuela at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Doha a few months ago and had recently played for the national U-20 team.