In the wreckage left by Venezuela's deadly late-June earthquakes, one small rescue offered a moment of relief: A weakened cat was pulled alive from the rubble of a collapsed housing complex in La Guaira days after the disaster, becoming a rare bright spot for rescuers and survivors amid the devastating recovery effort.
What happened?
AFP, via CBS News, reported that the animal was first noticed Saturday by Andres Carvajal, a 21-year-old university student volunteering in searches through La Guaira's ruined buildings.
"We saw the cat, it got scared and went back inside, deeper into the building," Carvajal said. He then removed a glove and put food on his arm to lure it back.
"It gradually came closer and, of course, ate with a bit of desperation," he said.
Carvajal, who had written "el gato" — Spanish for "the cat" — on his helmet and said it has been his nickname since elementary school, is part of a student-led rescue association formed by volunteers from the Central University of Venezuela in Caracas.
CGTN Europe (@cgtneurope) shared footage of the rescued cat on Instagram.
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La Guaira suffered some of the worst destruction from the June 24 quakes. AFP, citing official figures, said more than 850 buildings there were damaged and 190 completely collapsed. Nationwide, the updated official toll cited by Jorge Rodriguez, president of the Venezuelan legislature, stands at 5,208 dead and 16,740 injured.
Why does it matter?
In La Guaira, nearly 20,000 people are reportedly living in temporary camps in stadiums, public squares, and on sidewalks, according to AFP.
Animals are also among those injured, trapped, or separated from their owners after natural disasters.
The cat's rescue follows another moment from the quake zone. At the end of June, a search team from El Salvador pulled a small dog from the rubble in Caraballeda, and footage showed the dog licking the rescuer's face as onlookers applauded.
Earthquake recovery extends beyond collapsed buildings. It includes the survivors being found in the debris and the people willing to risk their safety to reach them.
What's being done?
After the cat was freed, rescuers handed it over to a small camp where veterinarians were waiting. The animal was given fluids, cleaned, and then sent to a shelter for further care.
That response is part of a larger ad hoc effort underway in La Guaira, where volunteer veterinarians have reportedly set up a makeshift clinic outside what used to be a McDonald's restaurant. There, they are treating dogs, cats, and other pets that were hurt in the earthquakes or left without owners. With limited equipment, they described the work as "war medicine."
Students and volunteers are stepping in as needs remain overwhelming. With bodies still being recovered and no official estimate of how many people remain missing, community-led support has become essential.
"I'm very happy we found it," Carvajal said.
He added, "It's impossible not to feel empathy for any life that's here. And finding this little cat is obviously a ray of light, a ray of hope."
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