Canary Islands declares three days of mourning after delegate dies in Venezuela double earthquake
Isabel Jara, the Canary Islands government delegate in Venezuela, was confirmed dead on Friday after a double earthquake killed 920 people and left thousands injured. The regional government declared three days of mourning.
Double earthquake strikes Venezuela
On the night of Wednesday 24 June, two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck Venezuela, causing devastation across coastal areas, including La Guaira. The latest official tallies, released on Friday 26 June, put the death toll at 920, with 3,360 injured; earlier reports had cited more than 500 fatalities and over 4,300 wounded. Four Spanish nationals have been confirmed dead, 106 remain unaccounted for and 14 have been identified beneath the rubble, according to the Spanish embassy in Caracas.
Canary Islands delegate killed in La Guaira
Among the victims is Isabel Jara (known as Chabela or Chavela Jara), director of the Canary Islands government office in Venezuela and recently appointed president of the Council of Spanish Residents. She was trapped when the building where she lived in La Guaira collapsed during the quake. After hours of search efforts, her body was recovered on 26 June.
Today I find it hard to find words. I think of Chabela's tireless work, the work to improve the lives of Canarians in Venezuela, hours of conversations. Today I say goodbye with pain and with gratitude for knowing she dedicated her life to caring for, accompanying and defending our people in Venezuela.
Political leaders react with grief
An extraordinary session of the Canary Islands government met in Santa Cruz de Tenerife on Friday. Spokesperson Alfonso Cabello announced three days of official mourning to be observed by all administrations across the archipelago. President Clavijo described Jara as "a loyal colleague, a generous woman and an indispensable Canarian on the other side of the Atlantic." Vice-president Manuel Domínguez said the news "hurts to receive" and sent condolences. National deputy Ana Oramas, a close friend for 27 years, wrote: "We all hoped for a miracle, but it wasn't to be." She recalled traveling with Jara across Venezuela and her work for compatriots.
Diaspora and missing Spaniards
The Spanish foreign ministry reported that 147,000 Spaniards lived in Venezuela as of 1 January 2026. The Canary Islands executive has contacted 22 Canarian community organisations in Venezuela to provide temporary shelter for those left homeless. Cabello said rescue operations remain difficult: "Information is arriving very slowly, all resources are focused on rescue and clearing debris." He confirmed that several Canarians are among the 106 missing, but said the government is still hoping for survivors.
- Two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 strike Venezuela, causing widespread destruction in La Guaira and other coastal areas.
- Rescue operations begin; Isabel Jara reported missing after her building collapses in La Guaira.
- Jara's body found in rubble; Canary Islands government holds extraordinary council and declares three days of mourning.
Other Spanish victims
Another confirmed Spanish fatality is Alazne Solabarrieta Lezea, 65, a woman of Basque origin born in Caracas. She died when her building collapsed in the San Bernardino district of the capital. Her husband, Koldo Olalde, a fugitive ETA member living in Venezuela, survived and was pulled alive from the rubble, relatives reported. The Spanish embassy continues efforts to locate the remaining 106 citizens.
