By GABRIELA AOUN ANGUEIRA Associated Press
Latin music stars Marc Anthony, Luis Fonsi, Chayanne, Feid, Jay Wheeler and many more will perform at an international benefit concert livestreamed from Miami on Sunday to raise money for those impacted by devastating earthquakes in Venezuela and Colombia.
Proceeds from online donations and ticket sales collected during the “Unidos por Los Nuestros,” or “United for Our Own,” concert will address both immediate and long-term needs, including rebuilding homes, repairing schools and community spaces, supporting children and providing mental health support, among other initiatives.
“Uniting for a common cause — taking action and helping fellow human beings facing hardship — is a duty we all share,” said Anthony, a multiple Grammy Award winner whose nonprofit Maestro Cares Foundation will administer the funds along with the Univision Foundation.
Proceeds from the concert will support the nonprofit groups All Hands and Hearts, CARE, Global Empowerment Mission, Techo and World Central Kitchen.
The concert was expanded after Monday’s disaster in Colombia
The event was initially created to benefit Venezuela after magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes rocked northern areas of the country just 39 seconds apart on June 24, killing at least 6,300 people. Those plans changed Monday when western parts of Colombia were hit by a deadly 7.4 magnitude earthquake, spurring event organizers to include the neighboring country.
Authorities and residents are just beginning to comprehend the devastation in Colombia, where at least 265 people were confirmed dead and nearly 500 people were reported missing by Wednesday afternoon, according to President Abelardo de la Espriella. Civilian-run databases put the number of missing at more than 4,100.
For Venezuela, the fundraiser comes at a crucial time as public and media attention fades on a humanitarian crisis that will last years, said Rodner Figueroa, co-founder and vice president of the I Love Venezuela Foundation, which channels resources to nonprofits working in Venezuela and is a Global Empowerment Mission partner.
“The biggest challenge right now is to keep the moment alive,” said Figueroa. “The need in Venezuela continues to be at a scale that is unbelievable.”
Tens of thousands of displaced survivors there need housing, clean water and sanitation and ongoing medical attention. More than six weeks later, people are still searching for missing friends and relatives, often without any official help.
Performers from across Latin America rally to the cause
The benefit concert will take place Sunday at 6 p.m. EDT at Miami’s Kaseya Center and will be shown live on Univision, ViX, WAPA and TelevisaUnivision radio stations, iHeartLatino and Venevision Play in Venezuela.
Viewers can donate by scanning on-screen QR codes, texting UNIDOS to 707070 or visiting univision.org during the broadcast.
Additional music acts include Piso 21, Gente de Zona, Elena Rose, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Ricardo Montaner, Mau y Ricky, Olga Tañón and others. The performers span Latin genres from salsa and reggaeton to pop and come from across Latin America, including Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina, Cuba and Puerto Rico.
Dozens of Latin television personalities, journalists and other celebrities will help host the event, including Don Francisco, longtime host of the TV show ” Sábado Gigante ” and former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres.
“We have all witnessed the devastation that has affected our communities at some point — we have seen it happen time and again in many of our countries and across the globe,” said Anthony, who also advocated and raised funds after Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in 2017. “The need is immense.”
Some Colombian artists committed to the fundraiser well before Monday’s earthquake. The Urbano Latino musician Feid, born in Medellín, has been reaching out to his more than 14 million Instagram followers this week to support aid groups there.
Latin music also shares a special connection with Cali, Colombia, one of the hardest-hit cities and a globally recognized hub for Salsa music and dance.
“Unidos por Los Nuestros” is being organized by Cárdenas Marketing Network, Maestro Cares Foundation, TelevisaUnivision and PIMIENTO Entertainment.
Additional benefits are also planned
Other musicians are also mobilizing relief efforts. The Venezuelan band Rawayana founded Fundación El After shortly following the disaster to support impacted young people. Shakira and other Colombian musicians, including Karol G, Ryan Castro and J. Balvin, rallied support for Colombia on Monday through social media. Metallica’s foundation donated $100,000 for Venezuela through the humanitarian organization Direct Relief.
Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel will host a benefit concert for earthquake recovery Aug. 23 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, his last performance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic before he joins the New York Philharmonic.
Proceeds from Dudamel’s “A Concert for Venezuela” will benefit recovery funds of the United Nations Development Programme and the CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean. Beck, Natalia Lafourcade and Carlos Vives will join Dudamel.
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