Teenage Brothers Who Lost Mother in Venezuela Earthquake Now Face New Trauma in Colombia
Two teenage brothers who lost their mother and younger brother in a devastating earthquake in Venezuela have now experienced another traumatic event in Colombia, where they recently moved with their father.
The teenage brothers, Deivi and Winder Delfín, have seen things that no child should ever have to see: unrecognizable corpses, destroyed homes, and desperate families. They lived through the devastating earthquakes that hit La Guaira, Venezuela, on June 24, where they lost their mother, Yusmani, and younger brother, Moissés.
Their mother, younger brother, and grandmother were trapped under the rubble of their collapsed apartment building. The brothers themselves removed the bodies after nearly a month of digging through the rubble, a task that no child should ever have to endure.
After migrating to Colombia with their father, they experienced another earthquake, this time in Cali, where their father works. The city was one of the hardest hit by the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that left hundreds dead.
Despite their traumatic experiences, the brothers show unusual maturity and composure for their age. They imagine their new lives in Colombia, filled with study and work, and want their mother to be proud of them, wherever she may be.
## The Earthquake in Venezuela
On June 24, the brothers went to spend the day at the beach, but their younger brother, Moissés, was not allowed to go because he was being punished. When they returned home, the ground shook, and two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 hit Venezuela, just 39 seconds apart.
The brothers managed to hug each other and close their eyes, but when they opened them, everything was filled with dust and debris. They returned to their home to find that their apartment building had collapsed, trapping their mother, younger brother, and grandmother under the rubble.
## The Search for Their Loved Ones
The brothers, along with their father and other family members, began a desperate search for their loved ones. They used various tools, including shovels, pickaxes, and hammers, to dig through the rubble. The search was a long and arduous process that lasted for 27 days.
During the search, the brothers found various objects that belonged to their family members, including their mother's Bible and a list of groceries. They also found the body of their grandmother, which they were able to recover after several hours of digging.
## Finding Their Mother and Younger Brother
Winder was the first to recognize his mother's body among the rubble. He identified her by the bag she had used to dye her hair. The brothers were finally able to recover their mother's body, as well as their younger brother's, who was found embracing their mother.
The experience was traumatic for the entire family, but especially for the brothers, who had to endure the loss of their loved ones in such a devastating way.
## A New Trauma in Colombia
Just a few days after migrating to Colombia, the brothers experienced another traumatic event: a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that hit the city of Cali. The earthquake was the worst to hit Colombia in over a decade, and it left hundreds dead.
The brothers were shaken by the experience, but they tried to calm their father, who was frantic with worry. They told him, 'Papá, stay calm. We've been through this before.'
The family is now trying to rebuild their lives in Colombia, but the trauma of their experiences in Venezuela and Colombia will likely stay with them for a long time.
