Venezuelans in Spain suffer anxious wait on missing family and friends

"This is Daniel. He's only six years old," Joana Marquez tells CGTN in Madrid outside a church holding a mass for the victims of a devastating earthquake that has shaken an entire nation.

"He was with his grandparents in La Guaira, he went down to play in the car park with friends just before the building collapsed. 

"We haven't heard a thing since then."

Daniel is the nephew of a good friend of Joana's. Both live in Madrid – among 200,000 other Venezuelans.

"It's so hard living so far away and not being able to help your family," she says, her voice breaking.

Two days after the country was rocked by two back-to-back powerful earthquakes, measuring 7.5 and 7.2 magnitudes respectively, striking just 39 seconds apart, hundreds are dead and anywhere between 10,000 to 100,000 people could be missing according to the US Geological Survey.

The grief, panic and anguish extend far from the earthquake's epicenter in La Guaira, Northern Venezuela, with more than eight million Venezuelans living outside their homeland.

Some are gathered at the Venezuelan consulate in Madrid, anxiously awaiting news of loved ones, sharing information, and offering support to one another. Others are trying to organize collections of basic necessities like food and clothing to send home.

Almost everyone that CGTN talks to knows someone who's missing.

Héctor Aparicio, a Venezuelan resident in Madrid, tells us that his aunt, who was returning from China, arrived late at the Maiquetía airport and was placed in a hotel near Playa Grande, one of the worst-hit areas.

"They have been searching for her for 15 hours, and nothing," he said. "She's 23 years old. She and her five-year-old son are also believed to be trapped under the rubble.

"We need external help," he continued. "We need experts and machinery searching for the missing – people specialized in these types of natural disasters. Neighbors with picks and shovels can't do this alone."

As relief efforts begin, the need for specialized support becomes increasingly urgent. The Venezuelan government and local organizations are mobilizing resources, but the magnitude of the disaster demands a coordinated international response.

Already, 57 Spanish military emergency personnel have landed in Venezuela with vehicles and trained search and rescue dogs to help with the emergency operation. More Spanish rescue workers and Firefighters Without Borders were waiting on Friday for confirmation of a plane that could take them directly to Venezuela

Meanwhile, global leaders have expressed their solidarity with the Venezuela people. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Guo Jiakun says his country is "ready" to assist Venezuela, the EU is sending support too and US President Donald Trump pledged a "rapid" response for Venezuela.

Unfortunately for many, that help won't come fast enough. Meanwhile, despite power outages, internet cuts, and unstable communications back home, the Venezuelan diaspora around the world continue to hold onto the hope of hearing from family and friends.