Guatemalan Gabriel Granillo Mazariegos, originally from Tiquisate, Escuintla, requested urgent support from the Government of Guatemala to return to the country with his family, after losing his home during the earthquakes that affected the state of La Guaira, Venezuela.
Granillo, a 54-year-old lawyer and university professor, reported in a letter addressed to the Government of Guatemala, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Minex) and the Guatemalan population that for six days he has remained with his family in precarious conditions after the collapse of the home where they lived.
“I do not write from privilege, but from tragedy,” begins the document, in which he also states: “I write these lines from the rubble of what my life was.”
The compatriot indicated that he has resided in Venezuela since 2017 for work reasons, although he previously lived in that country since 1992.
In the letter he describes the difficulties his family faces after the earthquakes.
“I do not write from privilege, but from the absolute fragility that tragedy imposes,” he said.
He also assured that he and a minor were rescued from the rubble and that the emotional impact has been profound.
“My children live outdoors, under the harsh sun and the terror of nighttime storms,” he wrote.
In another passage of the letter he recounts the uncertainty that his family is experiencing.
“Little Miranda hugs me wondering if we will have a safe home again,” he said.
Granillo stated that the earthquake represented “the definitive blow to a family structure that was already trying to sustain itself on shifting sands,” alluding to the economic and social difficulties that, according to him, they had been facing for years.
In his petition he maintains that his family wants to rebuild their life in Guatemala.
“We are not people who seek to be a burden,” he stated, adding that the members of his household have professional experience in the areas of education, health, art and justice.
The letter concludes with a call to the Guatemalan authorities.
“I beg you for the future of Miranda and Jesús; help us return home,” he wrote.
In a subsequent message sent while he remained in the affected area, Granillo indicated that communication difficulties prevented him from making video calls due to the lack of telephone signal.
“I just want an opportunity to return to my homeland, live in a little house and have a decent job where I can continue raising my children,” he said.
Foreign Ministry follows up on the case
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Minex) reported that the General Directorate of Consular Affairs is already aware of the case.
The institution explained that, because communications have not been completely reestablished in the place where the compatriot remains, contact is made through a third person and with the support of local personnel to identify their needs and provide the corresponding follow-up.
Minex added that Granillo has already been contacted by a liaison from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Venezuela.
According to the Foreign Ministry, the Guatemalan is in good health and retains his personal documents, although he lost his home and belongings.
The institution reported that it offered him to be transferred to a shelter in Caracas, where he would receive accommodation and food, a proposal that he accepted.
Likewise, he indicated that he was also offered the possibility of returning to Guatemala and that, if he decides to do so, he will receive consular support to manage his return.
Arévalo confirms communication
President Bernardo Arévalo confirmed this Wednesday, during a press conference, that the Government maintains communication with Granillo Mazariegos, one of the two Guatemalans identified in a vulnerable situation after the earthquakes that occurred in Venezuela.
“Through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs there is already a link with Granillo Mazariegos. It has not been easy to communicate with him because communications are destroyed, but what is necessary is already being coordinated. We are very aware of this case and Foreign Affairs is following it,” said the president.
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