A McDonald’s in La Guaira becomes an improvised hospital after the earthquakes

The devastation caused by the recent 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes in Venezuela has left an indelible mark on the state of La Guaira. With a tragic toll of more than 2,200 dead and thousands injured, the country’s healthcare infrastructure has collapsed, forcing authorities and volunteers to improvise desperate solutions to care for the victims. In this crisis scenario, one image has gone around the world: a fast-food restaurant converted into the epicenter of survival.

The lack of operational centers is critical. According to sources, the destruction of numerous hospitals following the earthquakes has forced the creation of emergency clinics in unimaginable places like this one in La Guaira. What was once a meeting point for families and young people has been transformed into a triage and emergency care pier.

This radical change of use responds to the pressing need for proximity to disaster zones. A restaurant from a well-known burger chain has been converted into an emergency room where veterinarians and nurses attend to the displaced as well as rescue teams.

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The presence of veterinarians working side by side with nurses underscores the gravity of the situation, where any professional with medical knowledge is vital to stabilize the wounded before their transfer to the capital. This field hospital does not only attend to the civilians who have lost their homes under the concrete.

The rescuers themselves, exhausted after shifts of more than 100 hours—like those that allowed for the rescue of security guard Hernán Alberto Gil—come to this point to receive basic medical care and rehydration. International and local solidarity has poured into this spot in La Guaira.

While teams from Chile, Mexico, and other countries continue searching for signs of life under the 140 tons of rubble from buildings like the Galerías Playa Grande shopping center, this restaurant provides the necessary logistical support so that rescue machinery does not stop. The situation in Venezuela remains extremely vulnerable. With the hospital system seriously damaged, the international community is closely monitoring the response capacity of the