Cleveland Guardians share support for Venezuela after deadly earthquake

Alisson Toro-Lagos, Akron Beacon JournalThu, June 25, 2026 at 7:03 PM UTC

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The Cleveland Guardians released a statement showing support to their Venezuelan players and family members after two earthquakes hit the country June 24, leaving 700 people injured and 32 dead.

"Our hearts go out today to our Venezuelan friends and family members following yesterday's earthquakes. We offer our ongoing thoughts, support and strength to our Venezuelan players and staff along with all those affected by yesterday's tragedy during this difficult time," said the statement in English and Spanish.

The Guardians currently have two active Venezuelan players, infielders Gabriel Arias and Brayan Rocchio. The team's interpreter Agustin Rivero is also of Venezuelan decent.

The first quake occurred at around 6:04 p.m. local time on June 24 about 15 miles east-northeast of San Felipe, Venezuela, data from the U.S. Geological Survey showed. The temblor, initially reported as a magnitude 7.1, had a depth of about 12.6 miles, and its epicenter was west of Morón, a town located on the country's Caribbean coast.

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Less than a minute later, the USGS reported a second major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5. The quake happened about 14 miles southeast of Yumare, Venezuela, according to the agency.

Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez announced on June 25 that the death toll is expected to climb as rescuers continue searching through the rubble. She noted that initial figures do not include casualties from La Guaira, a coastal state in northern Venezuela that was hit the hardest by the powerful tremors.

USA Today contributed to this report. Alisson Toro-Lagos is a reporter for the Beacon Journal. She can be reached at atorolagos@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians support Venezuelan players, staff after earthquakes

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