Oakland professor seeks help for his family displaced by deadly Venezuela earthquakes

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- An Oakland professor has launched an online fundraising campaign to help his parents recover after twin earthquakes in Venezuela destroyed their condominium building and displaced family members.

The June 24 earthquakes, measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, devastated parts of Venezuela. Authorities believe more than 5,000 people have died, while the government estimates that 16,750 people were injured. Crews continue clearing debris nearly a month after the disaster.

Alexander Gamero-Garrido, who lives in Oakland and teaches at UC Davis, said he spent hours unsure whether his parents had survived.

"It was the longest night of my life, probably," Gamero-Garrido said.

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For hours, he searched for information as images from the disaster spread on social media.

"I did actually see that their building did collapse," he said. "I was emotionally very distraught."

The family shared a photo of their condo building in Playa Grande. It was taken a week before the earthquake.

"I was in this apartment right here that they owned. That's actually my childhood bedroom," he said.

After the earthquakes, the building was reduced to rubble.

"Some neighbors we know passed. And some were rescued after being buried for 12 hours," Gamero-Garrido said.

His parents escaped injury because they were visiting his brother, who lives about five miles away, when the earthquakes struck.

"My mother said they kept trying to get up and they kept getting knocked down to the ground. Cuz the shaking was so intense," he said.

"They spent the night in the car. Waiting because there was no reception, no electricity."

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The earthquake also damaged his brother's condominium, which has been red-tagged because of structural concerns. The family has since moved out.

Gamero-Garrido launched a GoFundMe campaign two weeks ago to support his parents and other family members.

"That's my dad. His name is Raphael. That's my mom. That's my brother. His name is Vladimir," he said while showing family photos.

He said the goal is to help relocate his family to a safer area.

"I talked to my mom two days yesterday and to my dad two days ago. They are just starting to process the situation," Gamero-Garrido said.

According to the campaign, donations will help cover food, medicine and medical care. Organizers also say 20% of the money raised will be donated to Doctors Without Borders to support relief efforts in Venezuela.

Government figures indicate that more than 850 buildings were damaged and nearly 200 collapsed as a result of the earthquakes.

Gamero-Garrido said his family was fortunate to survive when many others did not. His parents and brother are currently staying with another relative while they determine their next steps.