Venezuela was shaken by two consecutive earthquakes that toppled dozens of buildings across the country, just on the day commemorating the 205th anniversary of the Battle of Carabobo. A macabre paradox for a state that, according to experts, was systematically dismantled by the corruption of the Chavista regime. Now, the shortcomings and incapacity of emergency response bodies are exposed: there are not enough firefighters, nor civil defense teams, nor anything resembling them.
The first images arriving from Caracas show collapsed residential areas, hundreds of people trapped under rubble. Many were watching the World Cup when their homes came down. The offer of international aid, such as from Chile and El Salvador, is welcome but insufficient. The political regime of Madurismo, with Delcy Rodríguez at the helm, let all institutional capacity for disaster response die.
What stands out most in the videos is the absence of professional rescuers. Gradually, police and volunteers began to appear, all well-intentioned, but without the necessary training for a tragedy of this magnitude. Volunteers are even seen inviting other Venezuelans to join with picks and shovels in rescue efforts. A heartbreaking image reflecting the absence of the state.
Faced with this void, citizens try to organize as best they can. Tools like ‘Desaparecidos Terremotos Venezuela’ allow reporting and searching for relatives. Social media is a key channel for asking for help. Collaborative damage maps and groups of engineers offering building stability assessments have also been activated. But everything is improvised.
The lack of basic services worsens the crisis. Gas supply was suspended to prevent fires, but in a country already suffering constant shortages of electricity, water, and fuel, this emergency threatens to extend rationing indefinitely. Preparing for the most intense rationing of all services is the watchword.
Hospitals and clinics are overwhelmed. The Venezuelan health system, already devastated by the lack of supplies and medical equipment, cannot cope. The initial death toll announced by the government was 32 people, but unofficial reports speak of more than 9,000 missing. Dozens or thousands of people lie under the rubble. Venezuela does not have enough forensic experts or pathologists to handle an emergency like this. Nor does it have morgues equipped to preserve bodies. SENAMECF operates with severe limitations.
As if that were not enough, looting of affected homes and properties has already been reported. The ‘criollo cunning’ and criminals take advantage of the tragedy to steal. Community organization is key to cordoning off areas and preventing pillaging. But distrust in security forces is enormous: corruption and lack of institutionalism in many police forces raise doubts about their real capacity to protect citizens and their property.
More than 12 hours after the earthquake, rescuers and security forces had still not arrived in the most affected areas of La Guaira state. A sign of the total dismantling of the state. Meanwhile, Venezuelans manage as best they can, with picks and shovels, trying to save those still waiting under the rubble. The lingering question is: how much more can a country endure when even the possibility of being rescued has been taken away?
para mi esta noticia es una garcha del imperio yankee, siempre culpan a maduro hasta de los terremotos, los unicos desaparecidos son los valores revolucionarios, viva chavez carajo, los voluntarios son el pueblo organizado, no necesitamos bomberos burgueses, firma comandante juan pistola
Para mí esto huele a lo mismo que quieren hacer acá los kirchneristas. El socialismo del siglo XXI es una fábrica de cementerios, ya lo veníamos diciendo. Maduro y Delcy Rodríguez desmantelaron todo, ni bomberos quedan. ¡Viva la libertad carajo!