The Sigh of the Earth: Documenting Venezuela's Forgotten Earthquake Victims

• On June 24, 2026, a seismic doublet struck Venezuela's northern coast, primarily impacting La Guaira, Caracas, Carabobo, and Falcón state.
• While international attention focused on La Guaira, communities in regions like Morón and Boca de Aroa faced severe destruction with little visibility.
• Photographer Saúl Zerpa created a documentary project, "The Sigh of the Earth," to preserve the memory of overlooked victims through visual and auditory documentation.

Impact and Damage

• La Guaira: Declared a disaster zone; thousands of fatalities; World Bank estimates structural damage at USD 19.6 billion.
• Morón: Nine reported fatalities, with 60 families affected and 40 homes completely destroyed.
• Boca de Aroa: 87 homes damaged, 128 deemed uninhabitable, and 252 residents displaced; damage includes soil liquefaction and infrastructure failure.

The "Sigh of the Earth" Project

• The project moves away from the "spectacularized" epicenter to focus on the lived experience of those in the shadows of the mainstream news cycle.
• The documentary features photographs of local destruction, private chat logs, maps, and seismological data.
• It incorporates Python-based visualizations of earthquake frequencies and an acoustic guitar soundtrack recorded during power outages.

Underlying Challenges

• 80 percent of Venezuela's population resides in high seismic risk areas, yet existing construction regulations are often unenforced.
• Complex factors like housing crises and internal migration exacerbate the impact of natural disasters.
• For many survivors, repeatedly recounting their experiences serves as a method of processing collective national grief.