Venezuelans deported from the U.S. were killed hours later in powerful quakes

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

https://www.npr.org/2026/06/30/nx-s1-5875287/venezuela-deportees-us-quakes

The last time Georgelyss Montes saw her best friend, Angelo Mejía Meléndez, was four years ago, at a goodbye party before he left for the U.S.

"We were like, 'You are stupid for leaving us!" she joked.

Last week, she got word he was coming home, unexpectedly, as a deportee. Mejía Meléndez was one of 146 Venezuelan nationals who landed in Caracas after being deported from the U.S. on Wednesday.

Passengers on that plane, which included women and children, were being processed in a guarded hotel in La Guaira when powerful twin earthquakes struck, according to family members. The building they were in pancaked.
The family of Mejía Meléndez had planned to celebrate with him once back home. Instead, they had to spend days searching hospitals and morgues. Ultimately, they identified his body by a distinctive pizza tattoo on his arm.

[stopdiggin]

1. link between deportations and earthquake deaths - - - exceedingly tenuous

Venezuela has suffered a horrific natural disaster and loss of life in compounding tragedy.

But - let's make it (somehow) about us ...

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[ColoringFool]

2. To me, the larger point is the tragic irony of Fate (and, yes,.

how the Trump Administration had a role in it).

Similar to that of the person who escaped one of the WTC buildings on 9/11/01, only to perish in the crash of a plane heading to the "safe haven" of the Dominican Republic a few months later.

[stopdiggin]

5. certainly. there is a large dollop of (rather cruel) irony here.

And that is the way the world turns some times. Sucks. Tremendously. But that's the way it works.

[Blues Heron]

3. It's a direct link- read the post again, 146 deportees were killed when their hotel pancaked.

Nothing tenuous about it. Trump sent them directly to their death

[stopdiggin]

4. because Trump is of course in control of natural disasters (and deaths) in S.America

OK then ....
How could I have possibly not understood the basic equation here ....
Cause and effect, right? Clear as daylight!

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[Blues Heron]

6. Nobody is saying that

[LisaL]

7. If they were not deported, they would be still alive today.

So how is it not about us?

[stopdiggin]

8. and if I had not put my child on a school bus the other morning ...

and if the school bus had not blown a tire that morning ...
and if the tire had not blown on that section of road ...
my child's arm would not be in a sling today ...

But, I get it! My bad! How could I have ever been so thoughtless, and just plain irresponsible .. ?
How will I ever forgive myself for such lapse .. such wanton and reckless disregard !?

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