Venezuelan volunteers offer free food for displaced people after deadly quakes

China

Venezuelan volunteers offer free food for displaced people after deadly quakes

2026-07-02 16:58 Last Updated At：21:17

After driving more than 10 hours to reach the Ali Primera Park in the west of the capital city, Caracas, a Venezuelan family is preparing hot meals for thousands of displaced people sheltering there in the wake of the twin devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela recently.

The two powerful quakes, measuring magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, rocked central Venezuela less than a minute apart on June 24. The death toll from the two powerful earthquakes had risen to 2,295, while the number of injured had climbed to 11,267, Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said Wednesday. The Delgado family, running a potato chip factory in a small town in Tachira state in western Venezuela, has traveled more than 800 kilometers to reach the park to offer hot meals to displaced people here.

"We thought we should come and lend a hand. Simply providing financial assistance is very limited. What they really need here is people on the ground," said Maricza Delgado, a volunteer from the family.

In the morning of the second day after the earthquakes, the Delgado family set out from their hometown with a large pot and a truckload of food materials. They had originally planned to head to the hardest-hit La Guaira, but were unable to enter due to road closures and ultimately decided to stay in Caracas.

"We were not allowed to enter into La Guaira. A security guard advised us, 'It would be best for you to stay here, as most of the evacuees from La Guaira will be brought to this location.' And indeed, he was right. On the first day, there were 1,500 people here. By the second day, that figure had risen to 2,500. Today, the number stands at approximately 5,000," said Juan Pedreiro, another volunteer from the family.

Over the past few days, they have been providing three nutritious meals a day to the people at the shelter, working in shifts from 05:00 until late at night.

"Today, we used 350 kilograms of ribs, along with two bags of potatoes, a bag of carrots, a bag of pumpkins, a bag of plantains, zucchinis, onions, and corns. Everyone loves having a small piece of corn in their soup. We also add protein -- some meat. And today, someone donated 40 chickens, too. So this pot of soup is really nutritious. People come happy, and they leave happy after their meal," said Maricza Delgado.

At first, it was just the Delgado family doing all the work. Gradually, colleagues and friends came one after another, and some affected residents also voluntarily joined the team -- chopping vegetables, washing dishes, and distributing meals. Now, this volunteer team has expanded to about 30 people.

"I heard that some of the children have lost their parents. There are no words to describe that feeling. I don't even know how to give them a hug and tell them, 'Mom and Dad are gone.' No matter how much food I give them, I think they would trade anything in the world just to be held in their parents' arms again. There is nothing that can replace that," she said.

Baseball events in Fuzhou build friendship between China, US youth

An exchange event bringing together young baseball players from China and the United States is underway in Fuzhou, the capital of east China's Fujian province, providing a platform for these young people to build friendships and enhance mutual understanding through sports and cultural exchanges.

The event, "Bond with Kuliang: 2026 China-U.S. Youth Baseball Exhibition Games and Sports Festival," runs from Monday to Thursday.

As part of the event, exhibition games featuring four U.S. youth teams and four Chinese teams were held on Tuesday at Fuzhou's Pingtan Baseball Park.

In an exciting game, China's Fujian Provincial Baseball Team took on the U.S. Northeastern State University RiverHawks. Hits, diving catches, and every brilliant play ignited the crowd, creating an electric atmosphere.

"It's honestly once in a lifetime opportunity and experience, because it's a great way to get along, have fun and just build friendships together," said Hill from the U.S. Northeastern State University RiverHawks.

But it wasn't just about the competition. A touching moment unfolded when an American player injured his finger during a game. A Chinese player noticed right away and quickly called for a medic.

"Injuries are hard to avoid in baseball. They can happen suddenly. There was no team doctor in the opposing team's dugout, so I called out to our side to see if they had any plasters, and asked our medic to help treat him," said Lu Yun from the Fujian Provincial Baseball Team.

"One of their players was nice enough to give me a bandage. The only ones I know in Mandarin are thank you (Xiexie), so that's what I said. It's cool how baseball can connect even if you don't speak the same language; you can play baseball together," U.S. player Osborne expressed his gratitude.

Beyond the baseball matches, the young athletes also visited Minjiang University in Fuzhou City as part of the event, where they played basketball and learned Chinese martial arts together. During the campus visit, they also explored a university lab to learn about innovative research and achievements.