The Shrine of Our Lady of La Candelaria is a heart-safe zone
The Shrine of Our Lady of La Candelaria, where the mortal remains of Blessed José Gregorio Hernández have rested since 1975 and which serves as the headquarters of the Office for Holiness in Venezuela, is now a heart-safe zone. Venemergencia, a primary healthcare company in Venezuela, donated an automated external defibrillator as an offering during a Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by Fr. Gerardino Barrachini, Vice-Postulator of the Cause for Canonization of Blessed José Gregorio Hernández, on the occasion of the company’s 20th anniversary.
The 10:00 a.m. Sunday Mass, with the church at full capacity, brought together special guests from Venemergencia and regular parishioners to give thanks for the 20 years of operations of this private Venezuelan company, which offers various primary healthcare services. It was founded by Andrés Simón González-Silén and Luis Enrique Velásquez, both doctors who graduated from the Vargas School of Medicine at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV).
Through the Venemergencia Foundation and as part of institutional partnerships under the Public Access Defibrillation program, the company has donated 12 automated external defibrillators in Caracas in 2024, which has inspired various companies and institutions to establish heart-safe zones at their locations. The following are now heart-safe zones: three plazas and the market in the municipality of Chacao, the El Sistema headquarters in Quebrada Honda, Plaza de Cumbres de Curumo in Baruta, and Plaza Bolívar in El Hatillo.
During the religious service and the subsequent installation of the defibrillator, Father Gerardino Barrachini expressed his gratitude for the donation, blessed the device, and emphasized that the Nuestra Señora de La Candelaria Shrine thus becomes a safe space for all those who visit the church daily with devotion. He noted that it also raises awareness about the importance of taking care of one’s health. He also emphasized that the defibrillator will not only benefit the church’s congregation but also the citizens who spend time in Plaza La Candelaria.
Dr. Andrés Simón González-Silén, Executive President of Venemergencia, described the company’s work as a testament to the fact that “nothing extraordinary is achieved alone; we have been building solutions together for 20 years now, with the exceptional team and trusted partners, to provide Venezuelans with reliable healthcare options, with a human focus and social impact. Expanding the Public Access Defibrillation program within a year demonstrates our ability to execute and our willingness to invest in our country. Today we give thanks for the journey we’ve taken and for what we’re now ready to do for Venezuelans.”
González-Silén reported that they are also in discussions with local governments in other regions of the country to finalize the donation of more automated external defibrillators in public spaces to include more communities in the expansion of cardio-protected zones in Venezuela: “Bringing healthcare to people is what makes us get up earlier and go to bed later; we want more and better access to healthcare for all Venezuelans— that is our vision for the country, and we work tirelessly toward that goal,” he stated.
For his part, Dr. Luis Enrique Velásquez, Director of Operations at Venemergencia, emphasized that a crucial link in the chain of saving lives is training more people as first responders to health emergencies. In this regard, he noted that the Venemergencia Foundation offers these courses at different levels: “Today we are bringing this defibrillator to La Candelaria; now we are counting on each of you to know how to use it—these are basic concepts,” he explained, because the device has a safety system that activates only when it recognizes that the patient requires an electric shock. It is “100 percent safe, but we want you to know how to use it in a timely manner to save lives,” he reiterated.
About Venemergencia
Venemergencia is Venezuela’s comprehensive assistance platform, dedicated to improving the quality of life for Venezuelans through health and auto services; it is the only one in the country with ISO 9001:2015 certification for its Quality Management System. It is a system that operates preventively, offering services focused on providing a primary diagnosis to avoid unnecessary visits to clinics and also caring for Venezuelans’ vehicles, offering better quality of care for users and reducing our clients’ operating costs. It operates one of the country’s most extensive fleets of ambulances, tow trucks, cars, and motorcycle ambulances, with services available 24/7.
Through the Venemergencia Foundation, we contribute to achieving Goal 3 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals: Good Health and Well-being. We do this through first aid training courses in partnership with USB, UNIMET, and UCAB. We also expand heart-safe zones by donating portable defibrillators in public spaces, in partnership with city governments and institutions such as El Sistema.
You can follow us at: @venemergencia @fundacionvenemergencia @urgentcare.ve
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