Venezuela Aunt Embraces Neighbour After Earthquake Rescue

Mon Sep 14 2026 14:56:09 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

After a devastating earthquake, a 23‑year‑old aunt in Caracas takes care of her 2‑year‑old nephew, hoping to reunite him with his missing parents.

Venezuelan rescuers pulled 2‑year‑old Kleiber Moran from rubble after massive earthquakes hit La Guaira. The boy’s aunt, Andreína Sarmiento, greeted him in hospital with tears, pledging to treat him like a son until his parents—still missing—are found. President Delcy Rodríguez marked the rescue as a ‘source of hope’ amid 2,295 deaths and tens of thousands missing. Andreína, close with Kleiber’s mother, remains hopeful that the family will be located, and sees a bright future for the boy.

In the early hours of Tuesday, a Jordanian rescue team pulled two‑year‑old Kleiber Moran from the rubble of his family home in La Guaira, northern Venezuela, after two devastating earthquakes the previous day.

At the hospital in Caracas, Kleiber’s aunt, 23‑year‑old Andreína Sarmiento, sobbed as she held him, saying she would give him “mother’s warmth” until his mother and father were found. She described the relief and grief of reconnecting with her nephew, who had been trapped for six days.

Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez hailed the rescue as a “source of hope for our people” amid a death toll that continues to rise and a tally of 2,295 confirmed fatalities.

Andreína shared that Kleiber was still in a state of shock at first, but he slept through the night and, by Wednesday, was stable, showing little signs of injury beyond minor scratches. She thanked the rescuers from the UK who also tried to reach him.

Despite the joy of finding her nephew, Andreína remains heart‑broken because her older sister, Kleiber’s mother Ana Luz, remains missing. She said she and Ana were close, talking daily via video calls and that Ana had always kept Kleiber by her side.

“When my sister was with the boy, he was with her,” Andreína said. “Now he is between me and the hope that she, and her husband, will be found.”

In the ward, Kleiber lay beside Andreína, wrapped in a Spiderman blanket and surrounded by toys, playing with a small car. He does not have any fractures, Andreína confirmed, and the child is recovering quickly.

The search and rescue operation continues, with the United Nations preparing 10,000 body bags for the country. As the nation mourns, families like Andreína’s hold on to hope that missing relatives will be located.

For the moment, Kleiber’s aunt commits to acting as a parent, hoping the boy’s future will one day be filled with stability and love once his parents are rediscovered.