02/07/2026
🚨 A Venezuelan volunteer says he's paying a heavy price for helping in the earthquake rescue effort.
Sebastián Martínez, known online as Boikido, has publicly denounced being persecuted by Venezuelan state security forces after serving as a translator to help U.S. rescue teams communicate during relief operations following the earthquakes. In a message shared on social media, Martínez said his accounts had been suspended and pointed to the government as responsible for his safety, appealing directly to the U.S. Embassy and to El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele for support.
His case surfaced just as the Volunteer Interpreters Network, which had over 100,000 people registered to help translate between quake victims and international rescuers, shut down operations. The group cited documented reports of volunteer interpreters being targeted by state agencies, including Sebin and Dgcim, simply for assisting foreign rescue brigades, and said it deleted its volunteer database to protect participants' safety.
🇻🇪 The move comes amid a broader wave of tension between Venezuelan authorities and international relief workers following the deadly June 24 earthquakes.
Image generated with artificial intelligence to visually represent the content of this news. It is shared for informational and public awareness purposes.