Rescue turns to recovery in Venezuela

0:00This week on Shorewave, working from home is popular. No commute. Sweatpants. People who do it say it makes them happier. And the data suggests they're probably wrong about that, on average at least. We unpack a new study about the social isolation of remote work and what it means for your health. This week on Shortwave, NPR Science Podcast. Listen daily on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Today on State of the World, rescue turns to recovery in Venezuela.

0:32You're listening to State of the World from NPR. We bring you the day's most vital international stories, up close where they're happening. It's Thursday, July 2nd. I'm Greg Dixon. It's been over a week since twin earthquakes struck Venezuela, causing immense devastation in a place not used to strong earthquakes. The damage has been concentrated on Venezuela's northern coast, and that's where NPR's Eder Peralta arrived in the days following the quake. Eder, tell us what the last week has been like for people there. I mean, it's been really intense because it started with a kind of just rush to try and get people out alive.

1:13And, you know, what was amazing about that is that the first few days there was just a lot of noises coming out of these buildings that had turned into rubble and they were signs of life. And as the week has gone by, those noises coming out of the building have just become more and more rare to hear. And a lot of what we had heard is that the live rescues happen a lot at night because that's when it goes quiet and you can hear maybe some dim noises from the buildings. And so last night we decided to go out and search with some of the family members. And you have a report from that search. Let's take a listen now.

2:00Just a few weeks ago, La Llavacito used to be an idyllic little beach town. Snack shops along the beach, thatched roof stores that sold swimwear. Now, dozens of people are sleeping outdoors in those same restaurants. On the hills, many of the high-rises that looked out upon the Caribbean have crumbled.

2:22And the focus for all the neighbors is 10-year-old Moises. His dad, René Ramírez, has been here for seven days, digging by hand with neighbors, trying to find him under the rubble of his apartment. He's my middle child. When the earthquake struck, he was at home with his two brothers and his mom. They ran toward the door as the earth started shaking. His mom says when things started falling on her, she made eye contact with Moises.

2:57But he ran back into the house to try to save the family dog. Ramirez's wife and his two other kids were rescued from the wreckage hours after the quake. Without thinking, Ramirez slips into the past tense.

3:16Moises was a lovely, sweet kid, very playful. He was deaf and mute, but the whole neighborhood knew him because he found a way to make people laugh.

3:30His cousin Alejandro Ramirez says he would start joking as soon as he saw you. I didn't understand a thing, but he still made me laugh. As we talk, the neighbors working on the dig find some of his belongings. It means Moises must not be far.

3:56That night, I take a ride along the coast on a motorcycle, and the destruction is apocalyptic. Some buildings are pulverized, others have tipped over, the different floors are stacked neatly on top of each other. Wherever you turn, there is desperation. In Los Cocos Beach, I find Ivanozka Ortega, who was looking for Romel Parra, her best friend. He's like my brother, she says. On her phone, she has a picture of Parra, his wife, and their little girl. He's making a silly face. The little girl is serious, dressed in her Sunday best. Ortega says she got a call from Parra two days ago.

4:39She picked up, but all she heard was static, like he was in a closed room. For seven days, they've searched alone, trying to figure out which pieces of concrete they can remove safely. But finally, she was able to find a group of miners, experts in search and rescue, to come and help. They came with dogs and heat sensors. It was a moment of hope. The miners get right to work. They want silence so they can hear if anyone is alive.

5:13They hear noises on top of the building and they climb quickly. Another man wiggles into a hole at the bottom of the building and he emerges with a video on his cell phone.

5:28It shows a woman trapped in the rubble, hugging a little girl. Ortega just shakes her head as reality hits. These were the most Christian people she knew, she tells herself. These were praying people. They prayed when they ate, when they left home, when they got in the car. A neighbor wraps her arms around her. They're with Christ, my love. And you're demonstrating what true friendship looks like. The miners say it's too dangerous to pull out the bodies because they're already decomposing. We did what we could, they say, and take off to the next building. Even eight days after the earthquake, miracles do continue to happen.

6:27A person was found alive on day eight, but not that night. That night, a nearly full moon rose over the wreckage, and the air smelled of death. In the corner of another building, the father quietly sobs. He's alone now. They had just pulled the bodies of both his kids, 10 and 15, out of the wreckage. His wife is still in there, somewhere.

6:58I'm so angry at the government that they just let us die here. He asked we not use his name because he fears retribution from the government.

7:11We got no help, he says. They treated us like dogs. By the time we get back to the quiet beach town, it was past two in the morning. But finally, a crew with big machines had showed up. Moises' cousin Alejandro Ramirez leans against a truck. His eyes are heavy.

7:37Yesterday I got to the point where my body just couldn't take it anymore. But he's not leaving, he says, until Moises is out of the rubble.

7:51Those of us who are alive are living in a purgatory, he says. We don't know what is going to happen to us. The machine struggled with a huge boulder that ended up inside the apartment building. It's painstaking work. The backhoe moves some dirt, and everyone inspects it for signs of Moises. They search until the sun comes up, and around midday, they do find Moises. The boy, who one neighbor called impossibly beautiful, was laid to rest that same afternoon. It's NPR's Eder Peralta in Venezuela.

8:36That's the State of the World from NPR. Thanks for listening. Are you tired of looking for a comfort show or film and realize it's moved to yet another streaming service or having to buy more storage for your thousand dollar smartphone? Is it even possible to truly own anything anymore? On It's Been a Minute, we dig into how folks online are taking back their agency in the media we all consume. Listen to It's Been a Minute on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Recently, cybersecurity researchers discovered a striking computer virus seemingly related to the conflict between the U.S.

9:13and Iran over Iran's nuclear program. Everything about this thing screams special. A cunning cyber weapon meant to gaslight nuclear scientists. Listen to Planet Money on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.