The Venezuela earthquake missing search continues months after devastating twin earthquakes struck the country on June 24. Antonella Molina, her nephew Pedro Molina and a group of friends are still searching for 18-year-old Andrés Molina in La Guaira.
Andrés disappeared after the powerful earthquakes destroyed buildings across the coastal region north of Caracas. His family has received several possible sightings, but none has led them to him.
Still, they refuse to stop looking.
Family Refuses to Give Up
Antonella and Pedro recently returned to the streets of La Guaira carrying flyers with Andrés’ photograph.
About 15 relatives and friends joined the search. They walked through areas filled with damaged buildings, broken windows and construction equipment.
Their goal remains simple. They want to find Andrés and learn whether he survived the disaster.
Neighbors have told the family that they may have seen him moving through the destruction. Some reports said he was collecting scrap metal.
Those accounts have given the family a reason to keep hoping.
“There are a lot of things that give us hope,” Antonella said. “And one of those is love.”
Andrés’ Mother and Brother Died
The search has been especially painful for Antonella and the rest of the family.
Before the latest search, relatives recovered the bodies of Andrés’ mother and brother from the remains of their collapsed apartment building.
The 10-story building once housed more than 30 people. However, rescuers found no sign of Andrés.
Even his familiar backpack was missing.
That absence has kept the family wondering whether he escaped before the building collapsed.
Venezuela Earthquake Missing Search Faces Uncertainty
The Venezuela earthquake missing search has been complicated by conflicting accounts about how many people remain unaccounted for.
Venezuelan authorities have reported about 1,500 missing people. However, independent accounts have suggested that the actual number could be much higher.
Authorities have defended their figures and said they have carefully verified the information.
For Andrés’ family, however, official numbers matter less than finding one person.
They say they have received little government assistance in their search.
“We’ve never had support from the government to help us find the people disappeared. Never,” Antonella said.
Flyers Bring Possible Sightings
The family has contacted shelters, hospitals and morgues while searching for information.
They have also distributed flyers throughout the area.
Those flyers have generated several calls. People have reported possible sightings at a golf course, a park and a restaurant.
Yet every lead has ended without confirmation.
Some residents said they saw a young man matching Andrés’ description while he was feeding cats. Cats were reportedly among his favorite animals.
Police also recently told Antonella that officers had seen someone believed to be Andrés collecting scrap material nearby.
That report gave the family fresh hope.
Relatives Search La Guaira Streets
During the latest search, Antonella and Pedro walked through La Guaira with relatives and friends.
They spoke with residents and construction workers. Each conversation brought another possible clue.
One construction worker said he had seen Andrés near the golf course.
Another woman said she recognized the flyers but had no information about his whereabouts.
A man also suggested that he may have seen Andrés at a nearby McDonald’s.
However, Antonella quickly realized that the description did not match her nephew.
So the search continued.
Family Separation Adds to the Pain
The disappearance has also exposed old tensions within Andrés’ family.
His parents had been separated for years. A long-running family dispute kept them apart, although relatives tried to maintain contact.
Andrés’ father has also been searching for his son.
Pedro had spoken with Andrés through WhatsApp in the months before the earthquakes. However, the two cousins never met in person because Pedro lives around six hours away in Anzoátegui state.
Despite that distance, Pedro wants Andrés to know that he is not alone.
“We don’t know how he must feel if he is alive,” Pedro said.
Search Ends With Pain and Frustration
The latest search eventually ended at a nearby McDonald’s.
By then, it was around 10 p.m., although the group stopped earlier than usual because Antonella had injured her arm.
For her, each search brings the same mixture of emotions.
She described feeling anger, helplessness, pain, sadness and sometimes despair.
The hardest part is hearing repeated reports that someone saw Andrés without ever finding him.
The family wants more than another possible sighting. They want to hold Andrés again and know that he is safe.
Hope Keeps the Search Alive
The June 24 earthquakes devastated parts of Venezuela, with La Guaira among the hardest-hit areas. Official and independent estimates of the disaster’s toll have differed, while families have continued searching for missing relatives.
For Antonella, the uncertainty has not ended.
She says she will continue searching for her nephew until she knows what happened to him.
“I have to continue until I find my nephew,” she said.
For Andrés’ family, hope remains stronger than exhaustion.
And until they have an answer, the search will continue through the damaged streets of La Guaira.
