The death toll in Venezuela continues to climb after two earthquakes shook the country nearly two weeks ago. In Ottawa and Gatineau, the Venezuelan Canadian community is mourning the lives lost by coming together in prayer to support each other at a vigil held Sunday afternoon. Organized by the group All for Venezuela, Aymara Agreda says it’s part of a larger event taking place in cities like Toronto and Montreal. The event was marked with a mass followed by a vigil in Gatineau. “We need to heal together,” said Agreda. “We need to pray together. We need to be to feel that we are strong and united in the help that we are organizing for Venezuela.” Candles burn outside St. Joseph Cathedral in Gatineau as community members honour the lives tragically taken in the earthquakes. Carolina Izaguirre-Campos says she has childhood friends who lost their family in the disaster. “For us to be here and show that we care, even though we are in the distance and our heart is with every, every Venezuelan around the world,” she said. Latest figures show nearly 3,000 people have died and tens of thousands remain missing as efforts to recover people continue. “This catastrophe was, it happened because the infrastructure of our country wasn’t taken care of for the last 25 years,” said Izaguirre-Campos. “And this is the reality.” Mariel Robertson came to the vigil with her two children “We are suffering as a community, the people who is in there, but also the people who is far away because we can see it, we see the news. It’s like you can’t go to bed and can’t you sleep,” Robertson said. “I haven’t been sleeping properly.” Relief concert planned As efforts continue in Venezuela, so too do efforts by the community in Canada. A fundraiser is planned for Saturday, July 11 at Boujie restaurant in Gatineau. Andreocles Del Corral, a musician with a band called UNO and an event organizer, says all proceeds will go towards Canadian Global Response, which is providing on the ground support in Venezuela. “Venezuela, in this moment, at this very moment needs any help from everybody, any person who is willing to do it,” said Del Corral.
