Key facts
- Venezuelans are struggling to find survivors after earthquakes, with many areas receiving little government aid and residents leading rescue efforts.
- A magnitude 4.6 aftershock occurred on Monday, further fraying nerves.
- Over 1,700 people have died and tens of thousands are missing following twin earthquakes.
- The U.S. has sent 300 first responders and is providing supplies, with financial support exceeding $300 million.
- A 21-year-old man was rescued after being trapped for over 100 hours.
Venezuelans are struggling to find survivors after earthquakes, with many areas receiving little government aid and residents leading rescue efforts. A magnitude 4.6 aftershock occurred on Monday, further fraying nerves.
Interim President Delcy Rodríguez stated that over 1,700 people have been killed in what she called the "most brutal natural catastrophe" in Venezuela's history. International aid has begun to mobilize, but hopes of finding survivors are fading. A 21-year-old man was pulled alive after being trapped for over 100 hours. The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes on Wednesday struck in the northern state of La Guaira, causing almost 800 buildings to collapse. Monday's magnitude 4.6 aftershock again shook La Guaira and the capital Caracas.
In Catia La Mar, local volunteers and international teams were leading search-and-rescue efforts, with some expressing anger at the authorities' slow response. While Venezuelan police and army presence was noted, heavy machinery was deployed sporadically, often arriving too late. Residents described civil protection workers lacking proper equipment and the government not providing adequate resources.
Zuly Marín, a resident of 15 years, attributed the slow response to Venezuela's dire economic situation, believing that earlier intervention could have saved more lives. In El Junquito, residents reported seeing few public officials, with farmers providing basic supplies. They are awaiting debris cleanup, inspections, and aid for those affected.
Rodríguez announced that over 25,000 emergency workers, police, and soldiers were assisting victims. She also formed a commission to assess damage, to be chaired by her brother, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, which will use a colour-coded system to classify building safety. Temporary camps are being set up for the displaced.
The 21-year-old survivor, Aaron Levi Cantillo Vargas, was found by teams from Venezuela, Mexico, and El Salvador. The UN's resident humanitarian coordinator, Gianluca Rampolla Del Tindaro, reported over 500 aftershocks and at least 2,500 affected structures, with a rise in the death toll being unavoidable. The UN is obtaining 10,000 body bags for its operations.
The U.S. has sent 300 first responders and is providing supplies, with financial support now exceeding $300 million. The U.S. military is also assisting with repairs at the port in La Guaira to allow an influx of relief supplies by sea and manage air traffic after the quakes destroyed part of the control tower at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Caracas. It seems unlikely, however, that the Trump administration would grant temporary humanitarian protections to Venezuelans as previous administrations have done for people from disaster-stricken countries already in the U.S. Venezuelans have been a major focus of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. More than 100 Venezuelans recently deported from the U.S. were being held at a hotel in the country when the quake hit, and many are now missing, survivors say. Miner Jean Sosa, who was deported from the U.S. in January, is assisting with rescue efforts in La Guaira, having rescued 20 people alive.