Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas revealed the harrowing ordeal his family endured after a powerful earthquake struck Venezuela earlier this week. While Rojas was with the Dodgers on the road, his wife and two children were in Caracas when a 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes shook parts of Venezuela.
Rojas’ wife, Mariana, and his two kids were in Venezuela taking care of some personal documents. Mariana was getting her passport renewed while the kids were officially getting their Venezuelan citizenship, as they were born in the United States.
“I feel selfish saying everything is okay, because everything [being] OK with my family doesn’t mean everything is OK with the country,” Miguel Rojas said. “We’re going through really tough moments right now. I just wish and hope everyone will pray for us because it’s devastating seeing how many families have lost everything.”
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He added that the earthquakes struck near the building where his wife and kids were staying. Thankfully, their building held up well and gave them enough time to escape down a stairwell.
“Literally two blocks away from where my family was, two buildings collapsed. The whole buildings,” Miguel Rojas said. “I’m lucky. I’m really lucky to have my family still alive and still with me.”
On his Instagram Story, he noted, “I miss them more than ever 🥹”. Rojas revealed that his family is now staying in a place where they have power and a connection to stay in touch with each other. However, he doesn’t know when they’ll be able to return to the U.S.
Miguel Rojas and Edgardo Henriquez call for support as Venezuela begins earthquake recovery
Los Angeles Dodgers star Miguel Rojas further added that some of the most heartbreaking stories he has heard have come from friends and former teammates in La Guaira, where he played in the Venezuelan Winter League. Those communities were closest to the earthquake’s epicenter and suffered the greatest losses.
While pitcher Edgardo Henriquez’s family remained safe in his hometown of Cumana, the Dodgers reliever said the disaster has affected all Venezuelans regardless of where they are from.
“We’re all Venezuelans. We all feel affected by it,” Edgardo Henriquez said.
“It’s really tough to see teammates of mine and players that I played with at some point in my career to lose family members, to lose kids. It’s really devastating. It’s been really hard for me to go to sleep at night…I just feel terrible,” Miguel Rojas added.
Along with thanking the Dodgers and San Diego Padres for wearing special “VZ” caps before Friday’s game, Rojas expressed hope that the gesture would keep attention on Venezuela as communities begin the long road to recovery. “These are really difficult moments,” he said.
Edited by Shyam Kamal