When earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24, Bishop Juan Carlos Bravo Salazar of Petare returned from a trip 370 miles away to find something unexpected: the poorest communities in his diocese had already organized their own relief efforts before official aid arrived. Aleteia reports on how Venezuela’s most vulnerable populations became first responders in the crisis.
What happened
The June 24 earthquakes hit Venezuela’s urban centers hard, with Petare among the affected areas. Bishop Bravo was in Mérida when the disaster struck. With flights cancelled, he made the ten-hour drive back to his diocese.
Petare is one of Latin America’s largest and poorest informal settlements. When the bishop arrived, he found residents had already mobilized: organizing search and rescue operations, distributing food and water, and setting up temporary shelters without waiting for government or institutional aid.
Read the full account at Aleteia.
Why this matters
This story challenges assumptions about who provides help in a crisis. The Church has long taught that subsidiarity means problems are best solved at the most local level possible. In Petare, that principle became visible reality: those with the least material resources became the most immediate source of aid.
The bishop’s surprise at finding organized relief efforts speaks to a broader truth about poverty and charity. The poor are not only recipients of mercy but often its most active practitioners, a pattern visible throughout the Gospels and Church history.
For Catholic readers
Consider supporting Venezuelan relief efforts through Catholic Relief Services or your diocese’s international outreach programs. Pray for earthquake victims and for the residents of Petare who are caring for their neighbors with limited resources.
Sources:
1. Aleteia — original report
