{"id":319404,"date":"2026-06-25T14:30:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T14:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/319404\/"},"modified":"2026-06-25T14:30:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T14:30:11","slug":"concern-and-anxiety-in-south-floridas-venezuelan-communities-in-wake-of-deadly-earthquakes-gem-asking-for-donations-wsvn-7news-miami-news-weather-sports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/319404\/","title":{"rendered":"Concern and anxiety in South Florida\u2019s Venezuelan communities in wake of deadly earthquakes; GEM asking for donations – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports"},"content":{"rendered":"

DORAL, FLA. (WSVN) – South Florida\u2019s Venezuelan communities are expressing concerns for loved ones back home in the aftermath of two powerful and deadly earthquakes<\/a> that rocked the South American country, and now a local organization is preparing to send help.<\/p>\n

As heartbreaking images continue to pour in from Venezuela, thousands of people thousands of miles away are frantically calling loved ones to check on them. 7News spoke with several of these local residents about their families in the wake of Wednesday\u2019s frightening temblors.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy brother, he\u2019s in Venezuela. He\u2019s in Caracas\/Maracaibo, and of course, I called him, and he\u2019s great, so my first reaction was like, \u2018OK, you answered my phone, you\u2019re good,’\u201d said a woman.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe start, you know, calling other family members in Caracas, and they were also good,\u201d said a man.<\/p>\n

The epicenter of the back-to-back earthquakes was Mor\u00f3n, a town located on the coast of the Carabobo State, about 360 miles west of Caracas. The quakes struck just after 6 p.m., and the images are absolutely devastating.<\/p>\n

In Doral, home to the largest Venezuelan exile population in the United States, Mayor Christi Fraga posted a message to residents in Spanish<\/a> in her Instagram stories, saying in part, \u201cWe are with all the families waiting for news from their loved ones \u2026 In the name of our city, we all give our solidarity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Venezuelan opposition leader Mar\u00eda Corina Machado also took to social media. In an X post<\/a>, the 58-year-old sent prayers to Venezuelans, writing, \u201cMay strength, serenity and solidarity prevail among us in the face of this difficult time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fear and anxiety continue to spread in Doral as people await more information.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never, you know, heard, seen or felt something like that in Venezuela,\u201d said a woman.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are waiting to see what is going on, because not everybody is aware of, you know, the impact and the devastation of the city,\u201d said a man.<\/p>\n

As of Thursday morning, the death toll has risen to 164<\/a>, with 971 people injured.<\/p>\n

The Global Empowerment Mission, which is based in Doral, is already mobilizing resources and teams to get over to the impacted communities in Venezuela as soon as possible. They are asking for the following items that can be dropped off at their warehouse in Doral:<\/p>\n

canned goods and other nonperishable foodshousehold needs like air mattresses, duct tape, sleeping bags, suitcases and tentshygiene products like toothbrushes, toothpaste and toilet paper<\/p>\n

If you would like to donate directly to them, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For a list of other reputable resource organizations seeking donations, as well as websites registering those who have gone missing following the earthquakes in Venezuela, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.<\/p>\n

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