Argentine soccer player Lucas Trejo is mourning the loss of his wife and two children, who were killed in the back-to-back earthquakes that struck Venezuela last week. The 38-year-old forward, who plays for Club Sport Marítimo La Guaira, was at a training camp in Caracas when the earthquakes hit, according to CNN Espanol.
Trejo’s desperate search
Trejo rushed to his home in La Guaira, about 27 kilometres north of the capital, and spent days sifting through rubble for any sign of his wife Yanina and their children, son Aaron and daughter Ainhoa. La Guaira was one of the hardest-hit areas after what the U.S. Geological Survey described as a “severe seismic doublet sequence,” with two quakes striking 39 seconds apart.
Trejo’s brother-in-law, Ricardo Ardiles, told the outlet that the soccer player was “emotionally overwhelmed” and that “absolutely nothing” was left of the family’s beachfront home. “What he found was a horrific scene. He found absolutely nothing of what the building itself had been. Our hope is that they weren’t in there,” Ardiles said.
Fellow players plead for help
As Trejo searched through the debris, other soccer players made videos pleading for more machinery to be sent to the city. Robert Garces, who plays for Venezuela’s Metropolitanos F.C., posted an Instagram video saying, “This is where we are, one of the many affected buildings. I want you to see the conditions here. We really need help. I’m here with many professional soccer players, giving our all to help our brother Lucas. But we’re not enough.” Garces asked for a telescopic crane, a cordless grinder, and additional assistance, adding, “A more serious helping hand would be a huge help, since the only machine we have right now isn’t enough.”
Condolences from clubs
Deportivo La Guaira, which competes in the top-tier Liga FUTVE, shared that Trejo’s family was killed following the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes. “From the #DLG we join the grief that overwhelms player Lucas Trejo, for the sensitive passing of his wife, Yanina Maranella, and of his children, Aarón and Ainhoa Trejo. Peace to their souls and comfort for Lucas and all his loved ones,” the team wrote on X.
Trejo’s own club also shared the news and sent a message: “In this moment of immense sorrow, we offer our prayers for the eternal rest of their souls and for the strength of Lucas and his loved ones to face this tragedy. Lucas, you are not alone. Your Marítimo La Guaira family is with you. We are with you in spirit, with respect, unity, and solidarity.”
Wider tragedy
Marítimo La Guaira also reported that two of the club’s youth players, Ricardo Veloz and Victor Palacios, were killed. More than 1,400 people died and thousands more are missing in Venezuela, authorities said Sunday, per CNN. The search has now surpassed the first 72 hours – the most critical window for finding survivors.
