One month after Venezuela's devastating twin earthquakes changed thousands of lives forever, Argentine soccer player Lucas Trejo has broken his silence, sharing an emotional message of faith, gratitude and determination after losing his wife and two young children in one of the country's deadliest disasters.
The June 24 earthquakes, which struck central and northern Venezuela, have left at least 5,000 people dead and thousands more displaced. Among the victims were Trejo's wife, Yanina Maranella, and the couple's children, Aarón, 7, and Ainhoa, 5, whose deaths became one of the tragedy's most heartbreaking personal stories.
Trejo, 38, had built both his professional career and family life in Venezuela. After playing in several countries throughout his career, the Argentine defender made Venezuela his home, where he and his family settled while he continued playing professional soccer.
Everything changed on June 24.
While Trejo was in Caracas with his team ahead of an official match, his wife and children remained at the family's apartment in La Guaira, one of the areas hardest hit by the earthquakes. As communication collapsed across the region, the player repeatedly tried to reach them before turning to social media to ask for information.
His worst fears were confirmed when he learned the apartment building where they lived had collapsed.
Rather than wait for news, Trejo joined rescue crews himself, digging through the rubble with his own hands in hopes of finding his family alive. For days he refused to give up.
On June 27, rescue workers recovered the bodies of Yanina, Aarón and Ainhoa.
The loss devastated the player. According to relatives, Trejo required medical attention in the days that followed, and his sister told Argentine television that doctors had sedated him as he struggled to cope with the unimaginable grief.
Now, exactly one month after the disaster, Trejo has spoken publicly for the first time.
In a lengthy message shared on social media, the Argentine reflected on what he described as the darkest moment of his life while expressing unwavering faith despite his pain.
"One month ago I lived the worst moment of my life, the only thing I feared, losing my family," Trejo wrote. "I had to search for my wife and my two children in a completely collapsed building, knowing they were already gone. There was nothing in my existence that frightened me more."
Despite acknowledging the overwhelming grief he continues to carry, Trejo said he has chosen to move forward through faith rather than despair.
"I choose to live with faith, even in the worst circumstances," he wrote.
The soccer player also thanked the countless volunteers, rescue workers, friends and strangers who stood beside him during the search for his family.
"Thank you to everyone who was by my side. Every one of you has a name, and I remember exactly who you are. Without a doubt, God sent you to embrace me and sustain me. Believe me, without you I would not have been able to endure so much pain. You never left me alone."
Trejo said the memory of his wife and children will continue to guide the rest of his life.
"Today I can tell you that their lives will not have been in vain. What we started together with my wife Yanina and my children Aarón and Ainhoa will continue."
He ended the emotional letter with a brief but powerful promise that immediately resonated with supporters across Venezuela and Argentina.
"See you soon, Venezuela."
The message suggests Trejo intends to return to the country where he built both his career and the family he lost, transforming unimaginable personal tragedy into a commitment to honor their memory.
As Venezuela continues recovering from the catastrophic earthquakes, stories like Trejo's have become symbols of both the enormous human cost of the disaster and the resilience of those left behind, determined to rebuild despite losses that can never truly be replaced.
