Upon entering the ruins of the Jurel building, one hears two things: the murmur of a few curious passersby gazing at the tomb of memories left by the June 24 earthquakes and the creaking of the rubble.
asserted
one → enter → rubble
Three months have passed since two earthquakes in quick succession shook this area of the Venezuelan coast.
asserted
earthquakes → pass → coast
But the devastation continues to resonate for those who haven’t been able to properly say goodbye to loved ones.
asserted
who → continue → ones
Cristian Verdú, 23, lost his brother, his cousin and his mother that day.
asserted
Verdú → lose → brother
The bodies of the latter two remain buried in the building’s rubble.
asserted
bodies → bury → rubble
A drone search confirmed their location, along with the bodies of other victims.
asserted
search → confirm → victims
The building’s collapse is so severe that his search has become — to say the least — nearly impossible after months of searching.
asserted
search → become → searching
“I never left her alone while she was alive.
asserted
she → leave → her
Anyone who knew my family knew my mother and knew that no matter what happened, I was always there for my mother,” said Verdú, who survived on June 24 because he was in Naiguatá, a town about 45 minutes from Playa Grande, where the Jurel is located.
asserted
Jurel → know → Grande
The search for Verdú’s family went viral following a video posted by journalist Maryorin Méndez in which Verdú pleaded for help recovering his loved ones’ bodies.
asserted
Verdú → go → bodies
Others had been able to retrieve their family members’ remains.
asserted
Others → retrieve → remains
Finding himself alone, Verdú set up a tent near the Jurel to oversee the search for his mom.
asserted
Verdú → find → mom
A Mexican rescue team tried to get her out, but the danger of the building collapsing was too great.
asserted
building → try → her
The Jurel building had 12 floors.
asserted
building → have → floors
Verdú’s mother was on the eighth floor and ended up on the sixth: Its collapse wasn’t like others in that the lower floors partially withstood the earthquake, but the upper floors collapsed one after another.
asserted
floors → end → another
What was revealed were the exposed rooms, bathrooms and halls.
asserted
revealed → reveal → ?
A swimming pool sloping toward a precipice warns passersby that a tragedy occurred in the building.
asserted
tragedy → slop → building
Verdú recounted that the Jurel was his family’s vacation home; they lived in Caracas, in the 23 de Enero neighborhood, a popular area in the western part of the city.
asserted
they → recount → city
On the day of the earthquakes, Verdú went for the first time to the San Juan drumming festival, a coastal tradition honoring St. John the Baptist that is celebrated every June 24.
asserted
that → go → John
Going to the festival is the reason he’s alive, he explained.
asserted
he → go → festival
The day before, he was with his family and had spent a lot of time with his mother.
asserted
he → spend → mother
“My little brother was in the pool, and I spent the day with her.
asserted
I → spend → her
We talked, and she took some secrets with her because I told her things that day, and we still had a conversation to finish,” he told Noticias Telemundo.
asserted
he → talk → Telemundo
When the earthquake struck and he saw that practically nothing remained of his vacation home, he said he experienced a mental breakdown.
asserted
he → strike → breakdown
“I ran out, screaming, not finding my family alive and then having to report that my cousin and a friend of my brother had also died,” Verdú said, adding that it was a difficult situation because other family members thought he had also died.
asserted
he → run → brother
He immediately began searching for his family, especially his mother.
asserted
He → begin → family
On the eve of his birthday, almost two months after the earthquake, Verdú announced on social media that he was ending his search for his mom and cousin.
asserted
he → announce → mom
“I wasn’t feeling well anymore.
asserted
I → feel → ?
I was exhausted,” Verdú said, adding that the situation was getting more complicated every day.
asserted
situation → exhaust → ?
Even so, Verdú continues to wait and hope.
asserted
Verdú → continue → ?
“The case was closed on social media, but the search hasn’t stopped because there are still people who want to get her out and want to help me,” he said.
asserted
he → close → me
If they demolish the building with his mother’s and cousin’s remains still inside, Verdú is prepared to continue searching for her, even if it’s among what remains of the rubble.
asserted
what → demolish → rubble
“It won’t be easy, but believe me, after they demolish the building, I will go back for my mother,” he said, hoping perhaps he can find some peace.
Verdú said that every night he dreams that his mother wants to tell him something, but she always stops or gets scared.
asserted
she → believe → something
“Many things were left unfinished.
asserted
things → leave → ?
My mother’s birthday was coming up, and we had a trip planned, but life had other plans.
asserted
life → come → plans
Perhaps my mother and my little brother had to take a trip that I couldn’t go on,” he said.
asserted
he → have → that
Living in a camp, and waiting
Stories like Verdú’s are repeated throughout La Guaira.
asserted
Stories → live → Guaira
At Residencias Caribe, family members and volunteer rescuers continue the search for people.
asserted
members → continue → people
Residencias Caribe was part of a residential development and consisted of three towers.
asserted
Caribe → consist → towers
Two of them remained standing; the other collapsed completely.
asserted
other → remain → them
…and 64 more, not listed.
The Aporia
