Venezuelan Mister Universo mourns boyfriend after 17‑day earthquake rescue search

A double earthquake struck the coastal state of La Guaira on 24 June, collapsing numerous buildings and leaving at least 4,490 dead and 16,740 injured. Lenin Peña, crowned Mister Universo Venezuela 2025, spent 17 days searching the rubble of the apartment he shared with his boyfriend, Yordy Paredes, a 22‑year‑old psychology student and Mister Mérida 2025.

Peña posted live updates on Instagram, requesting tools such as an air hammer, a trailer compressor and a generator. Despite rescuers’ warnings that the effort was dangerous, he continued the search with a small team of volunteers and firefighters. On 8 July, after reaching the kitchen and then the living‑room of the collapsed flat, he located Paredes’ body.

At a funeral service in the La Florida district of Caracas, Peña said, “I tried, I found him, but I wasn’t in time. We wanted to last forever,” and recalled finding personal items like a plush toy and a watch. The tragedy highlights the human toll of the La Guaira disaster.