Caracas: Victims of the recent Venezuelan earthquakes are pleading with the government to halt assistance efforts due to significant delays, as frustration mounts over the slow response following two devastating earthquakes that struck the region five days ago. The official death toll has exceeded 1,700, and with diminishing hope of finding more survivors, public discontent is growing.
According to Thai News Agency, the earthquakes, registering magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, led to the complete collapse of nearly 200 buildings, while hundreds more suffered severe damage. One of the buildings believed to have collapsed housed approximately 140 detainees from the United States, including children. Experts attribute the widespread destruction to ineffective building control laws, which have persisted since the administrations of former leaders Hugo Ch¡vez and Nicol¡s Maduro.
The disaster has resulted in 5,034 injuries and displaced over 15,000 people, particularly in the mountainous tourist area of El Hungeito. With limited government assistance, residents have resorted to setting up tents in open spaces and relying on food from local farmers. Activists are urging the government to expedite the investigation and removal of debris.
The fate of many remains uncertain, with an online registration system indicating approximately 45,000 missing individuals. Meanwhile, Maria Gorina Machado, an opposition leader in exile, has announced her intention to return to Venezuela to aid the victims, despite alleging government attempts to prevent her entry. She also criticized the government for obstructing citizen-led aid efforts, suspending international rescue flights, and blocking media coverage. Jorge Rodrguez, president of the National Assembly, countered these claims by attributing public anger to online misinformation and urged reliance on official sources.
Power outages in the aftermath have disrupted operations at oil refineries and petrochemical plants in the central region. However, Venezuela's national oil company assured that overall oil production and exports remain stable, with sufficient reserves to support domestic needs and rescue efforts.
International aid has arrived in the form of 1,000 tons of relief supplies, rescue teams, and sniffer dogs from 30 countries, primarily focusing on the severely affected Laguira State. Amidst the chaos, rescue teams successfully saved a 12-year-old boy and a 21-year-old man after being trapped under debris for over 106 hours.