Calgary’s Venezuelan community gather for support amid earthquake aftermath
Posted Jun 28, 2026 12:02 pm.
Taste of Venezuela at Eau Claire Plaza was supposed to be a celebration of the country’s food and cultural flair.
However, in the wake of the earthquakes that struck the country, the event organized in Calgary to celebrate Venezuelan culture turned into a place for the community to support one another.
“It’s just the feeling I have right now is sad,” Milana Varro told CityNews at the event on Saturday.
Milana Varro moved to Canada from Venezuela nine years ago. She’s thankful that her close family members are safe, but she feels for others who are not as lucky.
“We just need everybody’s help. These people are just trying to find family and friends, kids,” Varro said.
“I saw videos, my heart is broken, totally. When I saw people under the [rubble]. And people outside just cannot help because the heavy things, they cannot take out and move the people.”
More than 1,400 people are confirmed dead after back-to-back earthquakes on Wednesday, and thousands of others are injured.
Families reported at least 68,900 people missing Saturday, just days after the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes devastated the South American nation.
Albren Portillo says his uncle in Caracas is safe, but he’s lost his job in the area affected by the quake.
“Everywhere in Venezuela, they’re gathering food and supplies, and they are giving even what they don’t have to help. Because this is a really, this is one of the most devastating things that has happened — besides the corrupt government that we had for the last 27 years,” he tells CityNews.
Ernesto Gudino, the organizer of Taste of Venezuela, says financial help is certainly crucial at the moment, but so is togetherness and information sharing. It’s what the Venezuelan community here is doing this weekend.
“I feel very bad, but life continues. This is the opportunity to meet, to demonstrate that we are one voice and together we can do more,” he said.
“I think right now as a community, all we can do is be together, help as much as we can, not only with money, with prayers, but also with information. Anything helps.”
The event’s fundraising is through the charity Canadian Global Response to help with earthquake relief.
