The wait ended in the worst way for former Venezuelan big league player Eliezer Alfonzo. This Sunday the death of his wife, Patricia, and his daughter, Eliana, was confirmed, who had been missing since the collapse of the Hotel Eduards, in Macuto, during the earthquakes that shook Venezuela on June 24.

The confirmation was made by journalist Irene Mejías Sola, from VPItv, who reported from La Guaira that the relatives received the news after the rescue teams recovered both bodies among the remains of the building.

The tragedy came after several days of hope

For almost two weeks, Alfonzo remained at the site of the collapse, personally leading the search. The former recipient did not leave the affected area and organized work with machinery that he financed out of his pocket, in addition to coordinating efforts with international rescuers and Venezuelan miners.

The presence of specialized equipment, search dogs and sensors that detected possible signals kept alive the expectation of finding survivors. Even the rescue alive of Mila, the family pet, reinforced the optimism of the former player and those who accompanied him in the work.

In those days, Alfonzo publicly expressed that he did not plan to abandon the search. "I've been here since day one and I still have hopes alive, until the moment it's something different. And what I keep thinking positively, I keep working. I won't get tired until I have them in my hands," he declared.

In another of his interventions he also stated: “The only thing we need is to have that miracle, well, of getting my wife and my daughter.” However, the operation concluded this Sunday with the recovery of the bodies of both victims.

The context of a national emergency

The personal tragedy of the former baseball player occurs in the midst of a crisis that continues to hit Venezuela. Almost two weeks after the earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, national and foreign brigades continue to concentrate their efforts in La Guaira, one of the entities most devastated by the disaster.

According to the context provided, authorities report more than 3,000 people dead as a result of the earthquakes, while debris removal work continues in different sectors.

Alfonzo developed his career in the Major Leagues between 2006 and 2011. He debuted with the San Francisco Giants and later defended the colors of the San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners and Colorado Rockies. He also participated in Mexican baseball.

The former baseball player is the father of Eliezer Alfonzo Jr., who was promoted to the Major Leagues by the Dodgers this weekend. The young man belongs to a previous marriage of the former Venezuelan receiver.