Venezuela earthquake survivor rebuilds her life after devastating losses

On August 19, 2026, the story of 39-year-old Venezuelan architect and designer Nayarit Colmenares reveals the profound impact of the earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela. After spending two days buried under the rubble of her building, she survived the tragedy that claimed her husband's life and resulted in the loss of her right hand. The overall disaster in the region left a trail of more than 6,000 dead.

Buried alive and a farewell under the rubble

On the day of the disaster, Wednesday, June 24, two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck the northern region of the country at 6:05 p.m. Nayarit and her husband, Henry, also 39, were on the fourth floor of the Palmar Este 1 building in Caraballeda, one of the most devastated areas in La Guaira. The couple, who had been together for 14 years and shared an online vinyl record business, were caught off guard by the collapse of the structure.

Trapped in the darkness under the weight of the rubble, Nayarit realized time was passing when her phone alarm went off at 7 p.m. Attempting to feel her surroundings, she eventually found Henry's motionless body. Feeling the blood and fractures, she understood her husband was dead and said goodbye to him. Unable to sleep and feeling intense heat on the right side of her body, she remained still to conserve energy.

Rescue by Salvadoran firefighters

To try to catch the attention of the outside world, Nayarit used a loose piece of ceramic to repeatedly strike a metal bathroom pipe that had remained fixed in place. The metallic clanging was eventually heard by a rescue team sent from El Salvador, under the direction of President Nayib Bukele's government.

The extraction process lasted seven hours and required a delicate effort, as rescuers had to drill a hole to reach the survivor, who was trapped in the bathroom of a neighboring apartment. The greatest physical challenge was freeing Nayarit's right arm, which had been pinned under her husband's body. Upon being rescued and placed on a stretcher, she could finally see the sky again and breathe fresh air. She was taken first to a hospital in La Guaira and then to a clinic in Caracas, with her medical expenses covered by the government of El Salvador.

The difficult decision to amputate

Although doctors were initially more concerned about Nayarit's foot, the tissue of her dominant right hand began to severely deteriorate, turning gray. Faced with the risk of a generalized infection that could enter her bloodstream, specialists recommended amputating the limb.

For a professional who relied directly on her manual skills to draw, paint, crochet, and make chocolates, the loss represented a profound impact on her identity. However, reflecting on what her husband would advise her to do, she chose to preserve her life. Comforted by her family, who volunteered to be her new "right hand," she accepted the surgical procedure.

Adaptation and the dream of a bionic prosthesis

Currently, Nayarit deals with phantom limb syndrome, experiencing sensations such as tingling, heat, and spasms in the amputated area. To document her routine, she dictates her experiences to ChatGPT to create a voice journal, while training her left hand to draw, paint, and sign her name. During the surgery, doctors rearranged her muscles and nerves to facilitate the future use of a prosthesis.

With the support of her sister, who lives in France, a fundraising campaign was launched on GoFundMe with a goal of 100,000 euros (around 116,000 dollars). The objective is to acquire an advanced bionic myoelectric prosthesis that captures muscle impulses, allowing her to regain the precision of her movements. Nearly two months after the tremors, the Venezuelan government has still not released data on the total number of amputees from the tragedy.

With information from BBC Mundo.