Field notes from Jesús Valdez.
I was invited to participate in the mission by the USAR team known as Búsqueda y Rescate Internacional de Cancún, or BRIC. The organization considers me part of its operational team in the area of structural support. As a structural engineer, my role is to assess damaged and collapsed structures to determine their stability and safety conditions, allowing search and rescue teams to carry out their work effectively and with the highest possible level of safety.
I first met BRIC at the collapse site at Álvaro Obregón 286 after the 2017 earthquake in Mexico. Since then, we have collaborated on training activities aimed at the accreditation of USAR, or Urban Search and Rescue, teams.
After successfully achieving their accreditation, BRIC became part of INSARAG, the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group, and is deployed as part of international humanitarian search and rescue response efforts during major disasters.
As the scale of the tragedy in Venezuela became increasingly evident, two volunteer rescue teams established contact to coordinate their response. Enrique Ochoa, the leader of BRIC, contacted me the day after the earthquake and asked whether I would be available to join their first deployment to Venezuela.
I immediately confirmed that I was willing to participate, even if it meant arranging my own travel independently through other means. My main objective was to reach the affected area as quickly as possible and contribute to the response efforts.
The first day was devoted entirely to our deployment to Venezuela. The original plan was to depart from Toluca, Mexico, on a direct flight to Maracay, where a military airport had been designated as our initial destination. However, departure clearance was delayed significantly and was not granted until six hours later.
At Toluca Airport, I also had the opportunity to meet with the Red Cross USAR team. Many of its members already knew my work, since they had participated in damage assessment training courses I conducted for rescue teams in 2018, when I served as International Development Program Manager.
They also asked that we remain in close communication throughout the humanitarian response in Venezuela, since their team, like BRIC, did not include a structural engineer among its personnel.
The flight had originally been scheduled to depart at 10:00 a.m. A series of logistical challenges, including loading heavy rescue equipment onto the aircraft and a later change in the designated landing location, caused a substantial delay. We finally departed Toluca at 6:00 p.m.
Despite those setbacks, the mission was underway. It marked the beginning of our deployment to support the emergency response efforts in Venezuela.
We landed at Maiquetía Airport at approximately 1:00 a.m. At that time, the airport was receiving only humanitarian relief flights. From the air, we could see that the unloading and operational areas were not illuminated. As we landed and approached the terminal building, we also noticed that the interior appeared largely dark, reflecting the level of disruption affecting airport operations.
The Volaris airline personnel were exceptionally courteous and supportive before and during the flight. Before landing, the pilot expressed his gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan people for the assistance being provided and wished us success in our mission.
Upon arrival, we disembarked and quickly realized that operations at Maiquetía Airport were far from normal. After a considerable delay, a mobile staircase finally arrived at the aircraft, allowing us to deplane. As we descended, we immediately noticed the absence of the usual airport operations personnel.
It soon became clear why the terminal building had appeared dark from the aircraft. The structure showed apparent signs of structural damage. Through some of its windows, the few lights still on revealed that the suspended ceiling systems in the departure lounges had been extensively damaged and, in many areas, completely destroyed. For these reasons, the terminal building at Maiquetía Airport had been closed.
From that point forward, the main challenge was the lack of airport personnel available to help unload the several tons of equipment transported by the USAR teams participating in the mission. In addition to BRIC, our deployment included a search and rescue team from the Red Cross, as well as an independent volunteer rescuer known as Topo.
Airport personnel provided only minimal logistical support: cargo vehicles, a conveyor belt, and access to the aircraft’s cargo compartments. As a result, the rescue teams themselves were responsible for unloading all of the equipment. This demanding operation continued until approximately 3:30 a.m.
At that time, we were escorted to an improvised immigration area, where United Nations personnel were registering both volunteer rescue teams and INSARAG-certified USAR teams arriving to support the response.
The registration process, along with clearance and release of all personnel and equipment, was not completed until approximately 5:30 a.m. Afterward, I accompanied the USAR team to their designated assembly point, then arranged my own transportation and continued to Caracas.
I arrived in Caracas 24 hours after leaving home.
