Argentine footballer loses wife and two children in Venezuela earthquake

Around 30,000 Venezuelan emergency personnel as well as 2,700 rescue experts from 24 countries are deployed. More than 70,000 families are dependent on humanitarian aid following the disaster. According to the latest damage assessment, around 780 residential buildings and 38 hospitals were destroyed or severely damaged. Shopping centers and other public buildings also collapsed – a total of around 2,500 residential buildings and other facilities.

Destruction on the west coast

Among the victims is also Lucas Trejo, who plays for second-division side Sport Marítimo La Guaira. Trejo lost his entire family in the natural disaster. His wife Yanina Maranella and the couple's children Aarón and Ainhoa died, according to his club. Trejo's children were 5 and 7 years old.

Trejo previously played for, among others, the Greek club Atromitos FC (2007-2011) and in the Venezuelan top flight before moving to the second division. In La Guaira, the family had most recently been living in a beach house that was completely destroyed by the disaster. Trejo's brother-in-law Ricardo Ardiles told CNN Español on Friday that the footballer is "emotionally completely overwhelmed" and that of the family's beach house in La Guaira, one of the hardest-hit areas, there is "absolutely nothing" left.

Reactions from football

Rescue workers had searched for his family for 72 hours before recovering the dead from the rubble. Football club Deportivo La Guaira confirmed the tragic loss and addressed the public with an emotional message. "We at #DLG express our deepest condolences to player Lucas Trejo on the death of his wife Yanina Maranella and his children Aarón and Ainhoa Trejo. May their souls find peace and give Lucas and all his loved ones strength," the club's post read.

The presidency has set up a special commission to assess the extent of the damage and the habitability of buildings, as Rodríguez announced. International aid meanwhile arrived from 24 countries, including specialized rescue teams that helped search for those buried. The situation remains tense, as aftershocks continue to shake the region and tens of thousands of people are still considered missing.

Outlook and international aid

The case of Lucas Trejo stands as an example of the suffering of many families in the earthquake region. In La Guaira, one of the hardest-hit coastal towns, numerous residents lost their homes and loved ones. The coming days will show whether the number of missing persons continues to rise and how quickly reconstruction progresses in the destroyed neighborhoods. The international football community reacted with dismay to the news of the death of the player's family.