Man rescued alive 106 hours after Venezuela twin quakes
Aaron Levi Cantillo, 21, was found alive in La Guaira after more than four days under apartment rubble, according to Al Jazeera.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
2 min read
A 21-year-old man has been rescued alive from the ruins of an apartment building in La Guaira, Venezuela, 106 hours after two earthquakes hit, Al Jazeera reported. The rescue drew attention because Aaron Levi Cantillo survived more than four days trapped beneath debris.
Al Jazeera identified the man as Aaron Levi Cantillo and said rescue crews from Venezuela, Mexico and El Salvador took part in bringing him out. The report did not give further details on his condition after the rescue.
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele called Cantillo’s survival a “miracle,” according to Al Jazeera. Bukele’s comment reflected the rare outcome of a live rescue so long after the quakes, as search teams continued work at the damaged apartment site.
International teams joined the operation
Al Jazeera reported that the rescue involved Venezuelan, Mexican and Salvadoran personnel. The presence of teams from outside Venezuela pointed to a multinational response at the collapsed building in La Guaira.
The city sits on Venezuela’s Caribbean coast, but Al Jazeera’s report did not provide further information about damage elsewhere, casualties or the strength of the earthquakes. It also did not say when the rescue operation began or how crews located Cantillo beneath the rubble.
The timing was the central detail: 106 hours had passed since the twin earthquakes, Al Jazeera reported. That placed the rescue at more than four days after the disaster, a point emphasized in coverage of Cantillo’s survival.
A rare moment after days of searching
Cantillo’s rescue was presented by Al Jazeera as a notable development after the earthquakes, with Bukele using the word “miracle” to describe the outcome. The report credited the effort to teams from three countries rather than a single agency.
No additional official statements, medical updates or figures on the wider impact of the quakes were included in Al Jazeera’s account. The confirmed facts are limited to Cantillo’s age, his rescue from an apartment building in La Guaira, the 106-hour time frame and the involvement of Venezuelan, Mexican and Salvadoran teams.
Al Jazeera published its report on June 29, 2026.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.