The event, moderated by María Laura García, brought together experts to provide tools for mental health care, trauma recovery, and community rebuilding.
Caracas, August 28, 2026.—With the firm intention of supporting Venezuelans in their emotional recovery and reaffirming its commitment to comprehensive care, Grupo Venemergencia organized the forum “Life, Work, and Hope in a Country That Trembles.” The event invited attendees to reflect on how high-impact events transform daily work and personal life.
The day began with a real-time interactive activity led by Celibeth Guarín, Secretary General of the Venezuelan Federation of Psychologists and a researcher at PsicoData. During this activity, the audience was able to share their current emotional perspectives via a QR code, laying the groundwork for the main panel discussion.
Perspectives from the Front Lines
The three-way discussion addressed the impact of facing the disaster zone and providing post-trauma care. On this topic, Dr. Andrés Simón González-Silén, founding partner and CEO of Grupo Venemergencia, shared his experience in La Guaira: “Arriving at the affected area and seeing the magnitude of the disaster leaves you speechless. You feel the people’s pain, but being prepared helps you know what to do, prioritize triage, and get to work.”
Regarding the aftermath of the emergency, González-Silén added: “Physical rescue is only the first step. The psychological impact remains, and it’s vital to acknowledge the difficulty of this process by integrating mental health care for the victims and our own medical and rescue teams.”
Journalist Esteninf Olivarez shared her perspective from covering the events on the streets, highlighting information as a bridge to healing: “Journalism on the ground allowed us to witness not only the devastation but also invaluable human treasures of solidarity in action.”
For Olivarez, the return to normalcy is a key process: “Seeing how communities try to resume their routines and support one another becomes a tool for collective healing, propelling us forward without forgetting those who need it most.”
Faith and Journalism as Bridges to Healing
For his part, Father Danny Daniel Socorro, S.J., Director of the School of Psychology at UCAB and Coordinator of PsicoData, reflected on the spiritual role in the tragedy: “Faith is in no way meant to gloss over pain. Rather, having faith involves experiencing suffering and doubt in order to forge a path forward.”
“I do not believe in a God who sends earthquakes, trials, or punishments. I believe in the God who is with us in the midst of the earthquake—the merciful God who embraces you and walks with you through your pain,” said Father Socorro.
Father Danny also highlighted three key recommendations for emotional coping:
- Resuming daily life: He explained that returning to simple routines—sticking to schedules for rest, meals, and daily tasks—is a deeply healing process that helps provide structure and set the course for recovery.
- Validate emotions: He emphasized the need to name what you’re feeling and to learn to listen to others without judging or invalidating their pain with preconceived phrases.
- Maintain connections and seek professional help: He highlighted the importance of staying connected within the community and demystified psychological counseling, reminding everyone that seeing a specialist is a key resource for anyone seeking to heal and grow.
Closing with Hope
The forum culminated with the keynote address, delivered via Zoom, by the prominent political scientist, writer, and humorist Laureano Márquez. Titled “From Fear to Hope,” his presentation illustrated resilience through the anecdote of a hummingbird trying to put out a forest fire.
Márquez said: “The hummingbird replied: ‘I don’t know if I’m going to put out the fire; I just know that I’m doing what I have to do.’ Hope means knowing what you have to do and doing it. When the earthquake struck, everyone behaved like a hummingbird.”
“Everyone flew to the lake, filled their little beaks with water, and did what they could amid the devastation. When people do what they have to do, things turn out well, because that is a spiritual, moral, and conscientious calling,” Márquez concluded.
For Grupo Venemergencia, initiatives like this one—carried out in partnership with PsicoData and Cinex—are a fundamental part of its mission to provide Venezuelans with greater access to healthcare from a holistic perspective of the human being. Through every act of care, prevention, and support, the organization reaffirms its commitment to always be there to protect Venezuelans.
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