Football star Hector Bello has paid tribute to his wife Andrea, who died after shielding their one-year-old daughter from the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela. The defender for Marítimo de La Guaira lost his wife when their building collapsed during the disaster.
Heroic Sacrifice
Andrea used her own body to protect the couple's baby. The toddler miraculously survived and was rescued from the rubble. Bello, known as “Kike,” shared his grief on social media, writing: "You left us alone in the fight, mummy. You left me all alone with our daughter."
In another post, he cried: "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? How do I explain? Give me strength now because I can’t take any more."
Heartfelt Tribute
Bello added: "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." He recalled her laugh and said: "Oh Andrea, Mummy, I can’t handle this, my love, I really can’t."
The Earthquakes
At least 32 people died and 700 were injured after two massive earthquakes struck Venezuela in rapid succession. The first tremor, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake, hit late on Wednesday, 24 June near Caracas. Only 39 seconds later, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck. Videos on social media showed vehicles shaking, smoke filling streets, and significant building damage. The USGS had warned of high casualties and widespread damage.
