Venezuelan Footballer's Wife Dies Shielding Baby Daughter From Earthquake Rubble

Héctor Bello, a defender for Venezuelan second division side Marítimo de La Guaira, has shared that his wife Andrea died protecting their one-year-old daughter, Alana, when back-to-back earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24. Andrea's body was later pulled from the rubble. Alana survived and was rescued.

In an emotional Instagram post written in Spanish, Bello described what his wife did in her final moments and spoke directly to her memory. 

"You'll always be our favorite heroine, Mommy," he wrote. "I'll make sure to remind our baby girl how wonderful you were and how much you loved her. I'll tell her the story of how you saved her, how you gave your own life for our daughter. I'll tell her you were a brave woman who never abandoned her, even as you breathed your last."

Héctor Bello and his wife, Andrea with their daughter Alana

Héctor Bello's wife Andrea

He also wrote about the pain of being left to raise Alana alone. "There is one thing I can't forgive you for, Mommy: you left my soul shattered. You left me to fight this battle alone, a fight we always said was ours to face together."

In a second post, Bello addressed his daughter directly. "I need you to be the one to heal my heart, because right now it's in pieces," he wrote alongside a photo of the smiling toddler. 

"Now it's just you and me, and your mommy, who will be watching over us from heaven. I know that if she had just a minute to say something to me, she'd tell me to protect you with my life, just as she did, and never to forget to buy you those bananas you love so much."

Bello also posted an image of Alana on his Instagram Story showing her with a black eye and a bandage on her arm.

Héctor Bello is a defender for second division side Marítimo de La Guaira

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A post shared by Hector Bello (@hectorbello_02)

His teammate Lucas Trejo suffered a similar loss. Trejo's wife Yanina Maranella and their two young children, Aaron and Ainhoa, were found dead after more than 70 hours of search and rescue efforts.

The two earthquakes, measuring magnitudes 7.1 and 7.5, struck within about a minute of each other and rank among the strongest to hit Venezuela in over a century. 

The northern coastal region of La Guaira was the hardest hit. Around 1,500 people have been confirmed dead, at least 69,000 remain missing, and several other sports figures, including 18-year-old footballer Yiimvert Berroteran and Daisy, wife of former MLB player Gorkys Hernandez, are also among the victims.