Ricardo Contreras

“As time goes on, the crying is the same, but the reason is different. Instead of crying so much from sadness, it's more like remembering the good times,”

Ricardo Contreras · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-26

Ricardo described how his grieving process evolved from sadness to remembering good times with his parents.

“At first, when I found out Andres was well, I didn’t care about my leg too much. I would have chosen a thousand times over for Andres to be OK.”

Ricardo Contreras · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-26

Ricardo said he prioritized his brother's safety over the loss of his own leg.

“Of course, I'm worried about my financial situation,”

Ricardo Contreras · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-26

Ricardo expressed concern about his finances as the family truck parts business slowed after the earthquakes.

“If my leg hurts, I take a pill, but with that, there’s nothing I can do. There’s no cure, there’s no remedy, there’s nothing,”

Ricardo Contreras · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-26

Ricardo spoke about the difficulty of coping with the loss of his parents compared to physical pain.

“Now it’s about regaining a little of the independence I had before the earthquake, because that’s what limits me most,”

Ricardo Contreras · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-26

Ricardo spoke about adapting to his new reality while undergoing physiotherapy at a workshop in Caracas.

“One of the biggest achievements is that we survived,”

Ricardo Contreras · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-26

Ricardo spoke about survival alongside his brother Andres, more than four months after the earthquakes.

“I fell in the bathroom hugging my mother, and Andres fell near my father. She was telling me she was fine, but I saw that her head was covered with concrete, with a wall on top, and dust,”

Ricardo Contreras · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-26

Ricardo recalled the moment during the earthquake when his mother was trapped under concrete and dust.

“My classmates have always been there, helping me.”

Ricardo Contreras · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-26

Ricardo described the support he received from classmates upon returning to university.

“Sometimes it's hard to cover all the expenses, given everything that's happened, but we find a way. I think that's what Venezuelans do: We’re always finding a way to make things work.”

Ricardo Contreras · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-26

Ricardo spoke about covering expenses and Venezuelans' resilience after the earthquakes.

“I was really quite nervous. I was even worried about where the classes will be because we have three floors and also the distances are long,”

Ricardo Contreras · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-26

Ricardo described his nervousness about returning to university classes after his injuries.

“It was actually great going back,”

Ricardo Contreras · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-26

Ricardo spoke about resuming university studies after professors moved his classes to ground-floor classrooms.