09/07/2026 22:06 - Actualidad
On July 8, 2026, news that deeply moved both Argentines and Venezuelans was confirmed. After 14 days of tireless searching, rescue teams found the lifeless body of Lucas Gámez, the Argentine boy who had been trapped under the rubble of the Miramar building in the state of La Guaira, Venezuela. The young boy, who turned 9 years old on July 6 during the rescue operation, was found thanks to the use of heavy machinery that allowed crews to remove tons of concrete.
Lucas was born in Buenos Aires (the capital of Argentina) and played in the youth divisions of Defensores de Belgrano, a traditional Argentine football club. His family, consisting of his father Marcos Gámez and his mother Blancalida Martínez, had returned to live in Venezuela in January 2026, on a trip meant to reconnect with their family roots in the Caribbean country.
Lucas's tragedy is framed within the devastating double earthquake that struck Venezuela on June 24, 2026. The earthquakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, caused the collapse of 190 buildings in La Guaira, declared the 'ground zero' of the disaster. According to the official toll released in early July, the natural event left a balance of 3,685 dead, 16,740 injured, and 17,907 people homeless.
Blancalida Martínez, the boy's mother, addressed the media with admirable strength and faith. In her statements, she mentioned that there are "painful things that exist in life", but she deeply thanked the tireless work of the Argentine rescuers and experts who joined the operation. A day before the discovery, on July 6, Lucas's parents approached the ruins of the building to sing 'Happy Birthday' to him, an act of love that moved the entire world.
Lucas Gámez's family plans to move the boy's body to Caracas to carry out the necessary paperwork and say their final goodbyes with their loved ones. The Venezuelan government has provided logistical support to the family, in coordination with Argentine authorities who had already sent 16 tons of humanitarian aid and specialized doctors to the region following the earthquake.
For more details on the family's statements and the rescue operation, you can check the original article published by Clarín.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
