Sambil Madrid overwhelmed by Venezuela aid donations as Leganés opens new collection point

A wave of solidarity after the double earthquake

The Venezuelan community living in Madrid, together with various associations, organisations and businesses, has launched campaigns to collect essential goods for those affected by the earthquakes that struck Venezuela. One of the main collection points was set up at the Sambil Madrid shopping centre in Leganés, where long queues of people turned up to donate.

According to press reports, Venezuela was struck in the early hours of 24 June 2026 by a double earthquake measuring 7,2 and 7,5 on the Richter scale, with the epicentre in the state of Yaracuy. The tremors left buildings collapsed, infrastructure damaged and thousands of people without homes or basic services. The death toll figures shifted considerably over subsequent days: sources initially cited at least 235 dead and 4,300 injured, while later counts put the figures at 920 dead and more than 3,300 injured, with still later reports referring to more than 1,430 dead and tens of thousands missing or out of contact.

The Sambil Madrid collection point and requested items

Sambil Madrid set up a collection point on the ground floor of the shopping centre, open over the weekend from 10.00 to 18.30, according to sources consulted. The organisers stated that donations would be sent to Venezuela through the NGO Toneladas de Alegría and subsequently distributed by Fundación Bandazul. The platform Apoyando a Venezuela operated at the site.

The organising groups specifically requested non-perishable food, bottled water, infant and powdered milk, nappies, baby products, medicines, first-aid supplies, personal hygiene items, blankets, sheets, torches, batteries, power banks and boxes to facilitate transport. Rescue equipment was also requested, including cordless angle grinders, discs, grinding wheels, drills, drill bits, hammers, gloves, helmets and crowbars. Organisers reminded donors that food in glass containers would not be accepted and that, at that point, clothing was no longer being collected, with the focus placed firmly on essential goods.

The centre reaches full capacity

The public response forced a reorganisation of the collection effort. According to local Leganés press reports, Sambil Madrid announced it could no longer accept donations after reaching its maximum storage capacity. In response, the Ayuntamiento de Leganés opened a second venue: the Pabellón Manuel Cadenas on Calle de Mondragón, where volunteers are handling the sorting and preparation of shipments.

The local source stressed that, within just a few hours, the original drop-off point at Sambil had been completely overwhelmed, making it necessary to find a location with greater logistical capacity. (It should be noted that the same outlet attributed the emergency to rain and flooding, while all other sources link it to the double earthquake of 24 June.)

Other collection points in Madrid

The campaign extended to additional venues. Refugiados Sin Fronteras and Diáspora en Movimiento collected supplies at Calle Matilde Landa, 26, during afternoon hours over the weekend. In Villanueva del Pardillo, Pardillo Center and the Asociación Civil de Venezolanos en España (VENESP) opened another point at Avenida de Madrid, 4, local 1, where monetary contributions were also accepted to fund the purchase, transport and distribution of aid.

Alongside these physical collection points, NGOs and foundations opened donation channels. Cruz Roja Española enabled donations via Bizum using the code 33512, and organisations such as World Central Kitchen launched dedicated channels. Fundación Lealtad noted that donating money to NGOs with experience in the region is generally the most effective way to help, and advised checking the transparency of organisations and confirming through official channels that any fundraising is genuinely linked to the emergency. The Embajada de Venezuela en España and the consulates kept their support channels open for families.