The Catholic Church has become one of the main sources of support for the victims of the devastating earthquake that struck Venezuela last week. In an interview given to the magazine Ecclesia, Father Jorge Bastidas, national delegate of the Salesian Youth Ministry, describes the intense work carried out by the Salesians from Caracas and La Guaira to assist thousands of affected people, both materially and spiritually.
From the Don Bosco Popular Technical School and the Provincial House in Caracas, the Salesians have set up a shelter for people who have lost their homes or who still fear returning to them. In addition, Bastidas travels daily to La Guaira, the area hardest hit by the quake, where he works closely with the bishop of the diocese, Monsignor Pablo Modesto González, also a Salesian.
The priest explains that the most urgent needs are food, water, medicines, and baby products, especially milk and fruit purees for the many affected children. Together with diocesan Caritas, they assist nearly a thousand people every morning and are studying the launch of a kitchen to provide hot meals to those remaining in shelters or searching for missing relatives.
A constant presence alongside the victims
In addition to material assistance, the Salesians carry out intense pastoral work. Bastidas recounts that every night they visit the areas where families are waiting for news of their loved ones, offering listening, companionship, and religious services.
“People are deeply shaken and cannot fully understand what has happened, but they see in us a sign of hope and charity,” says the priest, who believes that the Church’s credibility in Venezuela stems from its constant presence alongside those who suffer the most.
One of the testimonies that has most affected him is that of a mother who continues to wait for the rescue of her son from the rubble in Caraballeda, even though international rescue teams have practically concluded search operations in that area.
A crisis that goes beyond the emergency
Bastidas warns that the real challenge will begin once the most immediate phase of the emergency has passed. In his view, many people are still in shock and have not yet come to terms with the loss of family members, homes, and livelihoods.
The priest also recalls that the earthquake has struck a country already enduring a deep economic and social crisis. “We will have to reinvent ourselves to strengthen people not only spiritually, but also socially and educationally,” he notes.
In this context, he also highlights the arrival of international aid through Salesian structures and the Church, as well as the incorporation of volunteers from Spain to assist in relief efforts.
Trust in the Church
During the interview, Bastidas emphasizes that a large part of the humanitarian aid is being channeled through ecclesial organizations due to the trust they inspire among the population.
He explains that distrust toward public institutions leads both individuals and international bodies to prefer collaborating with the Church, which maintains an extensive network of parishes, religious congregations, and assistance entities present on the ground.
For the Salesian priest, the priority remains accompanying the families of La Guaira and offering them not only material help, but also closeness and hope amid a tragedy that will mark the life of the country for a long time.