For these Venezuelans living in the US, June’s earthquakes still reverberate across daily life

Kelly Granado, whose parents died in Venezuela's June 24 earthquakes, poses for photos at her restaurant in downtown Los Angeles, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) 2026-09-09T12:14:16Z Los Angeles (AP) — After her parents went missing under the rubble of their Venezuela apartment building, Kelly Granado Montano spent her days here “lost, worried, on the phone,” her body in one country, her mind in another. “The desperation, the pain, and the anguish grew — from not knowing” their fate, she said. She was among the more than one million Venezuelans living in the United States who watched one of the worst disasters to hit the South American country unfold from afar. The powerful back-to-back earthquakes that struck north-central Venezuela on June 24 killed more than 6,500 people, left an untold number missing and damaged thousands of buildings. As the news overtook social media feeds and family WhatsApp chats, survivor’s guilt, anger toward Venezuelan authorities and a devastating feeling of powerlessness overcame many in the diaspora, a group whose numbers doubled to 1.2 million between 2019 to 2024, as people sought relief primarily from economic hardship. More than two months later, some Venezuelans in the U.S. still navigate the earthquakes’ aftermath — confronting loss and leading recovery efforts — against a backdrop of deepening uncertainty in both countries, largely tied to White House policies. As President Donald Trump tightens his grip on Venezuela’s domestic affairs following the stunning U.S. military operation that deposed then-President Nicolás Maduro in January, his administration is narrowing paths to remain in the U.S., ending programs that allow more than 700,000 Venezuelans to live and work here legally. Some immigrants feel a responsibility to keep shining light on Venezuela’s ongoing needs and unique challenges. “People think we are fine, but we are not,” said Dariela Merchan, an emergency room nurse in Austin, Texas. Four Venezuelans living in the U.S. shared how they experienced the last two months, and what their futures might hold. This story is a collaboration with Caplin News in Miami and Phoenix-based Conecta Arizona . (