Venezuelan expatriates in Calgary are struggling to contact family members after two major earthquakes killed nearly 200 people in Venezuela [1].
The disaster has severed communication lines and caused massive damage in north-central Venezuela, leaving thousands of displaced people and grieving families in a state of uncertainty. For the expatriate community in Canada, the lack of reliable information has turned a natural disaster into a desperate search for news of survivors.
The earthquakes struck on Wednesday, June 26, 2026 [3]. The two seismic events recorded magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 [2]. These powerful shocks hit areas near the capital, resulting in widespread devastation and a critical breakdown of infrastructure.
In Calgary, members of the Venezuelan community have spent the day attempting to reach relatives through fragmented phone lines and social media. Some residents have begun fundraising efforts to provide aid to those affected in the disaster zone.
"I was so scared," Paez, a Venezuelan living in Calgary, said [4].
The emotional toll of the communications blackout has been severe. Many expatriates reported spending hours waiting for a single signal, or a brief voice message, to confirm the safety of their parents or children.
"When I picked up the phone Wednesday evening, the first words I heard were ‘I’m …’" Jesus Arzola said [5].
Local organizations in Alberta are working to support the community as they navigate the trauma of the event. The scale of the destruction in Venezuela has complicated rescue efforts, as emergency responders struggle to access the hardest-hit regions in the north-central corridor.
“"I was so scared"”
The situation highlights the vulnerability of diaspora communities during crises in their home countries, where the combination of natural disasters and fragile infrastructure can leave families isolated. The reliance on informal communication channels during the initial hours of the disaster underscores a critical gap in emergency coordination between international expatriate hubs and local disaster response zones.
