At the age of 60, Belkys Josefina Barreto García, a Venezuelan national, spent nearly four days trapped between two massive concrete walls in complete darkness, banging stones against a piece of metal in a desperate bid for someone to hear her.
On Sunday, June 28, she was miraculously pulled from the debris of the Breogán building in Caraballeda, La Guaira state, by El Salvador's Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team after enduring 86 grueling hours of confinement.
Her account, shared with journalist Alejandra Oraa, stands as one of the most gripping survival stories to emerge from this catastrophe.
"First of all, I'm thankful. I'm doing okay, a bit bruised, with a wound on my leg, but I'm alright, thanks to God. I've been well taken care of," were her initial words.
Belkys recounted how she refused to give up from the outset. Trapped in a tight space, she relied on her voice, her hands, and her faith.
"I called out because I said, they have to get me out of here. I asked the Holy Spirit, and I tapped with the stones, with the stones, I had something metal, so I tapped as well, hoping they'd hear me," she recounted.
The darkness was so intense she couldn't even see her own hands.
"Everything was pitch black. I even got nervous because I thought... it's not possible that in this darkness I can't even see my hands, but I remained calm, kept my faith, and held on to God, who gave me this new opportunity to continue with Him, to continue praying," she confessed.
When the Salvadoran rescuers finally reached her and asked if anyone was there, Belkys responded with all her strength.
"I heard them ask if anyone was there, and I immediately shouted that yes, I'm here, I'm alive, I shouted to them, and they asked for my name, which they never forgot during the 10 hours they stayed with me," she recalled.
The Most Terrifying Moment: The Rescue
Ironically, the most terrifying moment wasn't the confinement but the final stretch. Approximately ten rescuers worked tirelessly for 11 hours to create an extraction tunnel, but the opening was extremely narrow.
"I was afraid when the rescuers had me and were about to pull me out. I feared because the opening was so small. I thought, well, if you've made it this far, you have to get out. Imagine with all these wonderful people who came to rescue me, and I was scared, it really frightened me," she admitted.
What followed was an extraction she compared to a birth.
"And I came out backward, crawling, that's how I got out, with much difficulty, like babies are born. Shoulder, move one shoulder, move the hip, move the other shoulder, and literally, when I saw it, I saw the light. I mean, literally, I saw the light," she described.
It was at that moment that the strength she had maintained for 86 hours finally broke.
"As I said, I hadn't cried or anything, but there I broke down in tears. I was reborn," she declared.
"This is My New Flag"
After being stabilized at the field camp, Belkys was flown by private helicopter—funded by the Salvadoran team—to a clinic in Caracas.
Doctors confirmed she had no severe traumatic injuries, only lacerations and a leg wound.
El Salvador's President, Nayib Bukele, was the first to confirm her rescue on social media.
According to a Latin Times report, a relative revealed that the family only knew she was alive because Bukele posted the audio of her cries, as they hadn't received any help from national or international organizations before.
Her children in the United States also took to social media to highlight the lack of specialized assistance at the building, which contributed to the viral attention and the Salvadoran team's arrival at the scene.
El Salvador deployed a mission of 300 rescuers and paramedics, 150 tons of supplies, and six aircraft to Venezuela, making it one of the first countries to respond.
Belkys expressed her gratitude by proudly holding the Salvadoran flag, declaring, "This is my new flag."
A Catastrophe of Historic Proportions
Two earthquakes, measuring magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 and separated by a mere 39 seconds, rocked northern Venezuela on June 24, marking the strongest quakes recorded in the country in over 125 years according to the United States Geological Survey.
As of June 29, the official toll stood at 1,719 fatalities and 5,034 injuries.
Key Questions about Venezuela's Earthquake Rescue Efforts
How long was Belkys Barreto trapped under the rubble?
Belkys Barreto was trapped for approximately 86 hours under the rubble before being rescued.
Who rescued Belkys Barreto from the debris?
She was rescued by El Salvador's Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team.
What was the magnitude of the earthquakes that hit Venezuela?
The earthquakes that struck Venezuela had magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5.