\u201cThey have rescued a lot of people but we\u2019re taking about 50,000 people still missing,\u201d said Samuel Romero, president of the Association of Venezuelans in Edmonton. \u201cPriorities are changing each and every day. Priorities will keep changing on a regular basis and that\u2019s where we need to keep our community united and together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Edmontonians with Venezuelan heritage tell CityNews they hope to see the greater community in Edmonton come together and help people in the South American country.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t know until you have somebody that close how it can hit you so hard,\u201d said Eylyn Tzoumas, who has family in Venezuela.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0b8172342acdd356fd8109e985a13f88195303e1667a447fd037dcd2ec518f8b-1024x682.jpg\")
Rescue workers carry a mans rescued from the rubble of a building that collapsed in the earthquakes that struck La Guaira, Venezuela, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo\/Matias Delacroix) <\/p>\n
Tzoumas says she learned about her friend and her family being trapped in the rubble from a video on Instagram. She says they were trapped for 24 hours before they were rescued by family members.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way they actually knew that they were alive it was because her phone was still working,\u201d she said. \u201cShe called family members and said, \u2018we are here and we\u2019re alive.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Leon says she\u2019s been overwhelmed with the community support. So far, she\u2019s raised over $3,000 within days of launching the campaign.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter this is when we\u2019re gonna need more help,\u201d the restaurant owner said. \u201cThere are kids that will be growing up without their parents, without their family, without stability. They\u2019re gonna be vulnerable.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\tKeep it Factual<\/p>\n
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