It was 6 pm on October 8 when it started to rain heavily in Las Tejerías
and, in just one hour, more than 21 sectors were devastated by the current of water that destroyed homes, businesses and vehicles, leaving a fatal balance of 36 people dead and more than 50 missing, leaving a trail of pain and despair among its inhabitants who, three days after the tragedy, give testimonies of courage, generosity and solidarity in the midst of adversity.
Residents report their astonishment at the magnitude of the event that devastated sectors such as Pinto Salinas, El Matadero, Lisandro Alvarado, La Hoyada, El Béisbol and Los Palmares, whose streets and infrastructures were full of debris, mud, stones and fallen trees, a situation without precedents in this locality of Aragon.
In one of the areas most affected by the landslide, the El Béisbol sector, we found Daniel Gil, while he was trying to recover what little remained of his grandfather’s house, who fortunately was able to save his life. Daniel recounted his astonishment at the speed with which the events occurred and expressed his gratitude for the immediate response of the authorities.
“The rain started after six in the afternoon, and by half past seven the water had swept away everything, now we just have to start from scratch and try to recover what we can,” he said.
One of the most moving testimonies is that of Jennifer Galídez who lost her granddaughter Danna Estefanía who was barely one year and eight months old, and who is still searching for her husband José Segovia (55) who was dragged away by the force of the Water.
Visibly affected, the woman recounts how she climbed onto the floating vehicles to save her life, until she was rescued by her neighbors in the first Victoria alley in the Castor Nieves Ríos neighborhood of Las Tejerías. She is currently taking refuge in the area’s outpatient clinic waiting for answers about the whereabouts of her partner.
Merchants rely on government help to recover their businesses
Even in the midst of the chaos and seeing how the effort of years of work was lost, merchants affected by the landslide do not lose hope of recovering their businesses and put their trust in the authorities who, through different spokespersons, have expressed their support for the reconstruction of these infrastructures, in addition to the support with credits for the replacement of equipment and inventory.
Henry Pulido, owner of Confitería Venezuela, located on the Las Tejerías Pan-American highway, expressed his regret over what happened and highlighted his willingness to work harder now to recover what was lost: “We lost everything, but thank God we are alive and giving the best of each one to solve and see what can be done”, he emphasized.
Carlos Pérez, who lost a business premises located on the Casco Central Pan-American highway, where he leased offices, indicated that he trusts government aid to start from scratch, assuring that he does not lose his optimism in the midst of the difficult situation that they have to go through today.
The force of the water devastated the Popular Market of Las Tejerías
Only rubble remained from at least 15 commercial premises of the Popular Market of Las Tejerías, according to the testimony of Iris Martínez, president of the Market, who requested the help of the authorities to recover this infrastructure, while maintenance crews and rescue bodies are deployed in the area with machinery for the removal of mud and debris.
Other commercial structures devastated by the force of the river were the headquarters of the Banco Bicentenario, the Matadero de Las Tejerías and the Los Palmares hotel. Likewise, the commercial area of La Hoyada was completely walled off.
A town that does not give up
Even after having lost everything, residents of Las Tejerías dry their tears and do their best to join the search and rescue efforts for the victims of the landslide, in a show of courage and solidarity to overcome the tragedy.
“Here we have not stopped, we help to get several people boarded up, working side by side with the authorities,” said Eustoquio Medina, who called on his neighbors not to lose heart in the task that now falls to them to recover Las Tejerías.
Similarly, residents of other towns in Aragón such as El Consejo, Maracay, Cagua, Turmero, Santa Cruz, La Victoria, Palo Negro, Santa Rita, San Mateo and La Villa have organized to collect supplies and food to help the victims, an initiative which has had the support of the different mayors.
“We will take household goods, food, drinking water, clothing, shoes, toys, diapers and basic necessities to the central collection center to be delivered by the regional authorities. I thank all our sectors and social movements, civil associations, private companies and neighbors for their valuable contributions to help our compatriots from Las Tejerías”, declared the mayor of Turmero, Joana Sánchez.
Collected supplies must be sent to the Cincatesa headquarters in La Victoria
To guarantee a higher level of organization in the delivery of aid to the population of Las Tejerías, and protect people’s lives by limiting access due to the fact that there are more than 3,000 heavy machinery in the area, authorities of the Bolivarian Government agreed establish the headquarters of Cincatesa, located in the city of La Victoria, as the only collection center, from where the donations will be sent to be distributed in the area of tragedy.
Similarly, those who wish to bring their contribution to Cincatesa can do so directly in a private way or by contacting the company through the number 0424-322-5477 where they can obtain more information.
Shows of solidarity and support for the victims
For its part, the Federation of Psychologists of Venezuela, reported on the activation of telephone lines where they will offer psychological help to people affected by the Las Tejerías tragedy.
This was reported through the official account of the Federation on the social network Twitter, where they assure that they will offer free care from 08:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The professionals of this federation expressed their solidarity and condolences with the relatives of the victims, joining the mourning that seizes them.
