FALCÓN – Authorities in the state of Falcón, Venezuela, began a search operation on Sunday for the Venezuelans who were lost at sea after their boat sank while en route from Venezuela to Curaçao. The search follows protests by families last week, who demanded that the Venezuelan authorities take action to search for their missing loved ones. The tragedy occurred last Monday. 

Several official government agencies, alongside local fishermen from Falcón, have now joined forces in the search effort. The list of the 14 missing includes four women, one of whom is a minor, and ten men, including a 9-year-old boy, a former police officer, and a 60-year-old man. 

Reports from Venezuela revealed that on Tuesday, March 4, it was confirmed that a boat had left Venezuela on the evening of March 2, heading for Curaçao. After that, the families lost contact with those on board. The Curaçao Coast Guard immediately launched a search, and after an intensive operation, they found a capsized boat off the southwest coast of Curaçao. Ten people were rescued, but one woman sadly passed away. 

On Monday, General Miguel Morales Miranda, the Secretary of Security for the state of Falcón, confirmed that the search would continue. The operation is focusing on the coastline of the Paraguaná Peninsula, using boats and drones to track the coastline and project where the sea currents may have carried the missing individuals.