A single mother who had raised her three children alone has become a tragic civilian casualty of the recent American military action in Venezuela, killed while trying to lead her injured daughter to safety.
A Desperate Phone Call Amid the Bombs
Yohana Rodriguez Sierra, a 45-year-old Colombian street seller, died instantly during the early-hours US bombardment on Saturday, 3 January 2026. Her 22-year-old daughter, Ana Corina Morales, a nurse, survived the attack but sustained serious leg wounds and was rushed to a local hospital.
The family's horror unfolded in real time during a chilling phone call. As the bombs fell on their home in the El Hatillo municipality of Caracas, an injured Ana managed to call relatives. "They're killing us, they've killed my mum," she screamed down the line, according to heartbroken family members who described Yohana as a "good woman." Another relative recounted Ana's desperate words to Colombian newspaper El Universal: "I don't know what happened but I don't think we'll see each other again. It was horrible, no-one knew what was happening."
The Attack on a Residential Area
Yohana, who was originally from the Caribbean port city of Cartagena in Colombia but had emigrated to Venezuela years earlier in search of opportunity, was asleep with her daughter when the attack began. Two missiles struck the house, which was located near television and telecommunications towers in El Hatillo—reported primary targets for the American planes.
The explosion from the first missile violently woke the pair. As they sought refuge in their patio, a second missile hit. "Yohana died instantly but Ana Corina survived," a family member confirmed, adding that while Ana is now out of danger, there were "several deaths" in the immediate area.
International Condemnation and Family Anguish
The US-led operation, which resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, has drawn fierce international criticism. Colombian President Gustavo Petro issued a furious condemnation, directly addressing former US President Donald Trump: "Under your internationally illegal orders, an innocent Colombian and Caribbean mother full of dreams for her daughter was murdered."
The family expressed profound anger and confusion over the military's tactics. "We know they knew where Maduro was," one relative stated, "so we can't understand why they attacked places surrounded by civilians, while they were asleep, when they had their target located." They accused the US government of having "no human conscience" and showing "no respect for innocent people," citing a current death toll exceeding 100.
In a further cruel twist, Yohana's grieving family face being unable to lay her to rest in person. Her other two children, who live in Cali, Colombia, and in Spain, will be prevented from entering Venezuela due to the ongoing conflict. The family revealed they will have to watch her funeral via a live online broadcast, as her body cannot be repatriated because it is classified as a war death.
