The day after the two devastating, consecutive earthquakes of 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale that flattened the northern part of the country last Thursday is unfolding in an endless way. Since then there have been 430 aftershocks.
According to the latest statements on state television, by the brother of the country’s transitional president Delsy Rodriguez and president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodriguez, they reached 1,430. According to the same source, another 3,200 people have been injured and 3,100 have been left homeless. However, estimates from the US Geological Survey (USGS) foretell an unspeakable tragedy, as the final death toll may exceed 10,000.
At the same time, the UN warns that the impact of the disaster is terrifying, with almost 7 million people directly affected (of which 2 million in the capital Caracas alone), while the material damage reaches 6.7 billion dollars.
Absolute chaos with 55,000 missing and rage in the streets
The magnitude of the disaster is reflected in the unimaginable number of missing persons. While the government says there are “hundreds of people trapped”, an opposition website listing the victims has already collected more than 55,000 names of people wanted.
🇻🇪 – A satellite image reveals the collapse of five residential buildings of the Housing Mission.
— DatoWorld (@DatosAme24)
In the coastal city of La Guira, which took the hardest hit and where at least 100 large residential buildings and apartment buildings collapsed like paper towers, the situation is chaotic. Residents and volunteers complain of severe shortages of heavy equipment and a limited presence of the state apparatus, resulting in many digging through the rubble literally with their hands.
AP’s Juan Arraez was in Venezuela when a devastating double earthquake ravaged the country on Wednesday. Today, he captured footage of citizens digging through the rubble of their homes, saying they have seen few state rescue teams in the areas hit hardest by the devastating 7.2…
— The Associated Press (@AP)
The miracle of life in the ruins
Amidst the darkness, a video obtained by the French News Agency (AFP) offers a glimmer of hope: a newborn baby, just 18 days old, was pulled alive from the rubble in La Guira after being trapped for a full 32 hours. An hour later, the rescuers managed to free his mother alive.
An 18-day-old baby was rescued from the rubble of a building that collapsed due to the earthquakes in Venezuela and handed to its father. An hour and a half later, the child’s mother was rescued.
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7)
Landing of foreign rescuers and blockade of the capital
In order to deal with the crisis, the government of interim President Delsy Rodríguez opened the borders to international aid. As stated by the official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oliver Blanco, already 1,600 foreign rescuers arrived in the country on 17 flights, while another 25 flights are expected in the next 24 hours.
Spanish Military Emergency Unit/Handout via REUTERS
Among them is a specialized team from El Salvador, with president Naguib Bukele highlighting the successful rescues through social media.
At the same time, authorities closed the main road connecting La Vieira to Caracas, denying passage to citizens without special accreditation, as the traffic jam blocked ambulances. Power has been restored to 60% of the country, but the epicenter of Morón and La Guira remain in the dark, highlighting the country’s chronic grid problems. At the same time, the first cases of looting in damaged stores are already being recorded.
The political “bet” of Delsy Rodríguez and the involvement of the USA
The strongest earthquake to hit Venezuela in a century is also a huge political test for interim president Delsy Rodriguez. Rodriguez, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, took office after the overthrow and arrest of socialist Nicolas Maduro by the US last January.
Crisis management can either consolidate her power or destroy her politically. Washington immediately rushed to support her, mobilizing $150 million in aid, easing economic sanctions and sending two warships and helicopters to the rescue.
Analysts point out that this disaster will become a product of political exploitation in order to increase US influence and control in Venezuela. Historically, moreover, major earthquakes in Latin America, such as in Nicaragua in 1972 or in Mexico in 1985, have radically changed the political landscape, leading to the fall of regimes. With a country crippled by the economic crisis and with a debt approaching $240 billion, the road to reconstruction for Rodriguez will be long and full of pitfalls. In the positive news of the day, the country’s oil production and distribution were not affected, as infrastructure avoided serious damage.
