Venezuela Earthquake: Lionel Messi's wife Antonela Roccuzzo backs devastated families as relief fund nears $4M

Antonela Roccuzzo has publicly thrown her support behind relief efforts for victims of Venezuela’s catastrophic earthquakes, sharing a verified emergency fundraising campaign with her more than 40 million Instagram followers as the country continues to battle one of its worst natural disasters in recent history.

In an Instagram Story, the Argentine influencer and wife of Albiceleste captain Lionel Messi urged continued support for affected families, writing in Spanish:

“We continue sharing this initiative to give visibility to and support the families affected in Venezuela.”

She added:

“Thank you to everyone who has already helped and to those who are able to join.”

The fundraiser she shared has since surpassed US$3.7 million, according to the live GoFundMe campaign, bringing it within touching distance of US$4 million.

The campaign supports emergency food supplies, clean drinking water, medical care, temporary shelter and other critical assistance for survivors.

The fundraising drive comes after two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude struck Venezuela within a minute of each other, devastating Caracas and the neighbouring coastal state of La Guaira.

According to Reuters, entire apartment buildings collapsed, hospitals and public infrastructure suffered extensive damage, while thousands of terrified residents fled into the streets as powerful aftershocks continued to shake the region.

The latest official figures show more than 920 people have been killed, over 3,360 injured, while at least 172 people remain trapped beneath collapsed buildings.

Authorities have also reported more than 50,000 people missing as rescue workers, military personnel, volunteers and international emergency teams continue an around-the-clock search for survivors.

The United Nations has estimated the disaster has caused approximately US$6.7 billion in damage, with humanitarian agencies warning that the death toll could continue to rise as rescue operations progress.

Antonela Roccuzzo's gesture comes just days after celebrating Messi's 39th birthday with a powerful tribute on social media.

Although the mother of three rarely comments on humanitarian crises, she is famous for using her enormous social media platform to highlight charitable causes, emergency appeals, as well as push her own philanthropic efforts.

Her latest intervention has helped shine further international attention on the Venezuela relief campaign at a crucial stage, as donations continue flowing in from supporters around the world.

While the US$3.7 million total reflects contributions from thousands of donors rather than funds raised by Roccuzzo herself, her decision to amplify the verified campaign has added another influential voice to the growing global effort to support families rebuilding their lives after the tragedy.