Key facts
- Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, defended the government's earthquake response amid criticism.
- The death toll from the earthquakes has surpassed 2,500, with over 11,000 injured.
- Opposition leader María Corina Machado criticized the government's response and sought to return to Venezuela.
- Machado stated her presence would help stabilize the country and address the state's absence.
- The opposition has a database of over 36,000 missing persons.
- The U.S. reportedly discouraged Machado from returning to Venezuela, citing concerns about political protests.
- Rodríguez dismissed criticism as fabricated narratives and stated rescue teams were deployed immediately.
Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has defended her government's response to a devastating earthquake, as the death toll has surpassed 2,500 and over 11,000 have been injured. Rodríguez rejected claims of slow rescue efforts and under-reported casualties, attributing criticism to "disgraceful" misinformation.
Her primary political rival, exiled opposition leader María Corina Machado, criticized the government's handling of the disaster, calling it slow and disorganized, and stated her presence in Venezuela would help stabilize the country. Machado's party has created a database of over 36,000 missing persons and is mobilizing volunteers for donations.
The United States has reportedly expressed frustration with Machado and discouraged her from returning to Venezuela following the earthquakes, fearing her return would incite protests rather than focus on recovery efforts. U.S. officials suggested Machado had sought assistance to travel back to Venezuela from Curacao and Panama.
Rodríguez, whose mandate as interim leader expires soon, has attributed criticism of the response to fabricated narratives, asserting that rescue teams were deployed immediately with adequate equipment. Machado claimed the government closed its airspace to prevent her return, though the government did not comment on this.