Venezuelan footballer Héctor Bello has been left devastated after his wife Andrea died protecting their one-year-old daughter Alana when a massive earthquake collapsed their building. Rescuers found Andrea's body in the rubble, where she had selflessly used her own body to shield the infant, who survived and was rescued alive.
Heartbreaking tribute from husband
In raw social media posts, Bello, a defender for Marítimo de La Guaira, shared his heartbreak: “You left us alone in the fight, mummy. You left me all alone with our daughter.” He added: “How do I tell that to my daughter? Andrea, how do I explain to your daughter that you lost your life to save hers and I wasn’t there in that moment to do anything? Give me strength now because I can’t take any more.”
He later wrote: “You'll always be our favourite hero, Mummy. I'm going to make sure our baby remembers how wonderful you were, 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, how you were a brave woman who, even with your last breath, never abandoned her.”
Disaster strikes Venezuela
The double earthquake struck Venezuela on June 24, with reported magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, causing widespread destruction, particularly in coastal areas including La Guaira State where the family lived. Authorities report at least 235 dead and more than 4,300 injured, with search and rescue operations continuing.
Venezuela’s football federation confirmed the death of another player, Yordelis Pereira, highlighting the disaster’s impact on the sporting community.
Football world rallies around Bello
Bello, 28, also known as ‘Kike’, plays as a central defender and spent the bulk of his career at Zulia FC. As he faces the challenge of raising their daughter alone, the football world continues to rally around him during his unimaginable loss.
