Bellingcat has pinpointed locations from social media videos that seem to depict coffins placed inside fresh trenches after the deadly quakes striking Venezuela.

The identified area covers more than two hectares next to an established burial ground in La Esperanza, a settlement close to La Guaira along the northern shoreline.

Our Latin American reporting partners sent a representative to inspect the location, where they documented ongoing work through photographs. They also spoke with a local resident who described refrigerated trucks transporting multiple bodies arriving and departing regularly.

This spot aligns with a place mentioned in July 6 coverage by AFP and Deutsche Welle, which described 150 unidentified remains interred in a lengthy line of single plots.

AFP and DW released images showing individual markers and stones, citing a town resident who explained that the interments were tracked by plot numbers and codes to allow later recognition.

It remains unclear whether the coffins in the social media clips correspond to those 150 unidentified remains noted by AFP and DW or represent additional burials in the broader vicinity.

Reuters likewise shared images of the location on July 6 along with video showing coffins being delivered via flatbed trucks.

Over 3,500 deaths have been verified from the earthquakes to date. Yet this count is projected to climb substantially, as the UN estimates the final toll may reach 10,000.

Oran Finegan, Director of Forensic Action International and former Head of Forensics for the International Committee of the Red Cross, explained to Bellingcat that although individual graves represent the preferred approach for interring the deceased, long trenches become common during surges of unidentified bodies when immediate single plots prove impractical.

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He referenced ICRC guidelines outlining recommended procedures in these situations. He also distinguished between temporary common graves for later identification and mass graves involving secret dumping without records or respect. The material shown matches the former category, with no signs of the latter.

Finegan stressed the necessity of accurate mapping and documentation throughout the burial process to support future identification efforts. Recording origins of remains, spacing bodies adequately, and assigning unique identifiers to each coffin or bag proved essential, he noted.

While precise procedures at the La Esperanza site could not be confirmed, local media in nearby La Guaira have highlighted issues with identification and interment workflows.

The BBC noted that the disaster magnitude has strained local resources, compelling improvised solutions. Some remains were left exposed outdoors at a La Guaira port facility, according to the BBC.

Another challenge involves many recovered bodies reportedly being beyond recognition.

One woman informed the independent Venezuelan outlet RunRun.es that she received a tag and number for a body bag that did not correspond to her relatives. Officials later indicated misidentification had occurred and that the remains had been sent for burial in Los Teques.

The New York Times reported last week that overburdened morgues hold growing numbers of unidentified remains, prompting authorities to weigh mass interments.

The Venezuelan Attorney General Office, Judicial Police and National Service of Forensic Medicine Sciences offered no replies to comment requests. President Delcy Rodriguez has previously affirmed that all remains undergo forensic processing including fingerprinting, photography and dental analysis.

Rodriguez further stated that no one will end up in a mass grave.

Davenio Velasquez, President of the Venezuelan Professional Funeral Sector Association, described a protocol for temporary burial of unidentified remains in five hundred individual niches in Caracas. He noted they would be exhumed and cremated after six months if unclaimed.

Finegan observed that exhuming and cremating hinders identification and deviates from best practices. Still, local customs must be considered. He added that a six-month reclamation window appears too brief for a disaster of this scale.

Locating the Burial Site

Land features in the social media videos match those beside a cemetery outside La Esperanza, a coastal town near the La Guaira area heavily affected by the quakes.

These details enabled geolocation of the filmed site.

A July 1 Facebook video from Colombian outlet RTV shows a large trench holding roughly six coffins. The clip also captures civilians near a truck loaded with additional coffins. Contents could not be verified.

A second Instagram video from an independent creator, reportedly sourced locally, displays similar large excavations on comparable terrain.

Bellingcat searched for reference material to compare against these clips and located a June 2024 video from Vargas Municipality Mayor Jose Manuel Suarez Maldonado showing machinery preparing land for a new community cemetery plot.

Matching elements from the mayor video with the RTV and independent clips, plus landmarks from Peakvisor, confirmed all three were recorded at the identical location.

A unique tree cluster appears in both Video 1 and Video 2, indicating the shared site.

Background mountains and slopes in Video 2 align with those in Video 3.

The rocky hillside profile visible in Video 2 corresponds to views in Video 3.

Together these comparisons establish that the three videos share the same filming location.

Comparing hills and peaks from Video 2 against PeakVisor further verified the site just beyond La Esperanza.

Satellite views from June 25 show the area as green and vegetated. By June 27 a newly cleared section of about 1.5 acres appeared in the exact position.

The cleared zone shows prior excavation activity.

Imagery from 2022 and 2023 reveals earlier work at the spot before regrowth occurred.

Bellingcat noted a white marquee in Video 2 that provides a time marker indicating at least one clip dates to 2026.

This marquee appears in satellite imagery from June 27, 2026, at the precise spot shown in Video 2.

A July 2 TikTok video also shows the same tent.

The cleared land shape matches recent satellite views of the site.

Earlier satellite images indicate the cleared zone presents differently from above, confirming alignment with the latest imagery rather than prior clearances.

Bellingcat partners reached out to the Venezuelan Attorney General Office, Judicial Police, National Service of Forensic Medicine Sciences and Asoproinfu without receiving responses before publication.

Finegan noted the current death toll likely understates the true figure and authorities anticipate further increases.

Even when immediate identification fails, he said, respectful burial that preserves future identification options remains crucial. This approach can offer families some solace amid tragedy.

This investigation resulted from collaboration with Venezuelan and Latin American partners including Efecto Cocuyo, Alianza Rebelde Investiga comprising El Pitazo, Runrunes and TalCual, and the Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism.