Key facts
- Venezuelan earthquakes have resulted in over 3,300 deaths and 16,700 injuries.
- International rescue teams are withdrawing, leaving recovery of the dead to families.
- Many Venezuelans report a lack of government assistance in searching for loved ones' remains.
- The recovery process is hampered by the advanced decomposition of bodies.
- Concerns about substandard construction in public housing blocks have resurfaced.
In the wake of devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, the focus has shifted from rescue to recovery, with families increasingly left to search for the remains of their loved ones amidst the rubble. International rescue teams are preparing to depart, and local authorities are prioritizing shelter for the thousands displaced.
Survivors like Noel Márquez describe harrowing experiences, attempting to recover family members with little more than their hands and basic tools due to a perceived lack of state assistance. The advanced decomposition of bodies makes the task even more gruesome and difficult, according to local firefighter William Gomez.
The official death toll has surpassed 3,300, with over 16,700 injured, and an unknown number of people still missing. Residents in the hardest-hit areas, such as La Guaira, report that government civil defense crews are largely absent, leaving civilians to navigate the wreckage themselves.
Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez has announced plans for infrastructure and housing recovery under a program called "Venezuela Reborn." However, anger is mounting among families who feel neglected by the government, not only in the immediate aftermath of the quakes but also in the ongoing efforts to find and identify their dead. Questions about the substandard construction of public housing blocks, built under former leader Hugo Chávez, have also resurfaced as many of these buildings pancaked in the earthquakes.