CNN en Español – Panorama Mundial covered the rescue of Hernán Alberto Gil Flores in La Guaira, featuring Jesús Valdez Aguilar, CEO of Miyamoto México. The segment highlights his direct role in the operation, including the structural evaluation and shoring strategy that allowed rescue teams to safely reach Hernán after 183 hours trapped beneath the rubble of a collapsed building.
Original coverage
Publication: CNN en Español, Panorama Mundial
Article/video: Panorama Mundial Con Gabriela Frías: Anatomía De Un Rescate, El Plan Para Salvar Una Vida – 7/2/26
When Hernán Alberto Gil Flores was pulled from the rubble of a collapsed building in La Guaira on July 2, he had been trapped for 183 hours. His rescue was not a single moment — it was the result of days of relentless coordination between rescue teams from Costa Rica, Chile, the United States, Portugal, and Mexico, guided in part by structural engineering support on the ground.
Miyamoto International’s Jesús Valdez Aguilar, CEO of Miyamoto México and an expert in seismic structural engineering, was embedded at the site and played a direct role in a critical turning point in the operation.
The Collapse
The building, an eight-story mixed-use structure with commercial spaces on the ground floor and residential units above, suffered catastrophic failure in its rear module, which overturned completely, leaving more than 500 tons of debris over the area where Hernán was trapped. Debris removal from above was not an option. The only path forward was tunneling from below: approximately 5 meters through concrete and twisted rebar, with hundreds of tons of unstable material overhead.
The Engineering Decision
The Costa Rica team had first heard Hernán on day three and began working toward him, but stalled over safety concerns about the approach. Visible structural damage made the team hesitant to proceed without a formal evaluation.
Jesús conducted a structural assessment on site alongside Red Cross rescue leadership and recommended a change in strategy: metal shoring props and adjustable jacks to stabilize the tunnel approach, combined with active monitoring. A Chilean engineer independently reached the same conclusion. With three engineers aligned, the teams moved forward with confidence.
“Without a structural evaluation, the Costa Rica team was afraid it would come down on them. When we entered alongside the Red Cross rescue leader, I gave my assessment and recommended shoring, but with metal props and metal jacks. Combined with the monitoring that the Mexican Red Cross also set up on site, they would have both monitoring and stabilization.”
— Jesús Valdez Aguilar, CEO Miyamoto México
The Final Hours
Progress accelerated after the strategy shift. Within 24 hours, rescuers were a meter and a half from Hernán. Fifteen hours later, they were within centimeters. The US team made the final breakthrough, cutting through a concrete ceiling, and extracted him alive, hydrated, and with only minor bruising.
“Saving a life is their objective. For any rescue group, it’s a great achievement — it’s what motivates them to come from thousands of kilometers away.”
— Jesús Valdez Aguilar
Hernán’s rescue is a testament to what coordinated multi-team response looks like when it works — and to the role structural engineering plays not just in assessing buildings, but in keeping rescuers safe while they do their work.
Miyamoto International remains on the ground in Venezuela. Field operations continue.
