A month after devastating earthquakes struck northern Venezuela, a cruel wave of fake news is giving desperate families false hope. Up to 50,000 people remain missing after the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude tremors on June 24 which killed over 5,000 and injured nearly 17,000.
Recently, a false rumor spread across social media claiming three survivors were found alive in the rubble of La Guaira's worst-hit OPP 26 housing complex. Believing the reports anguished relatives rushed to the site only to have their hopes dashed. Venezuela’s civil protection agency quickly issued a statement confirming the alleged rescues were entirely "false".
For families still searching for loved ones, this misinformation adds unnecessary trauma to an already tragic situation. Naiti Sarria, who has spent the last month looking for her 74-year-old mother-in-law condemned the rumors. "They shouldn't be twisting that information because it gives you hope, and you know those things are impossible" she said adding that "it's wrong to play with the feelings of the people who are here".
As recovery efforts continue in the coastal state of La Guaira, where over 23,000 people have been made homeless the public is urged to rely on official updates and refrain from sharing unverified claims that exploit grieving families.
