What we know as American deportees among 1,700 killed in Venezuelan earthquakes
Frustration is rising across Venezuela over a lack of government help in areas struck by deadly twin earthquakes five days ago, with rescues becoming increasingly rare and the death toll hitting more than 1,700 on Monday.
Among the casualties are believed to be as many as 140 people deported from the United States, including children, who were staying at a hotel that was toppled by Wednesday’s back-to-back 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude quakes.
On the fifth day of rescue efforts, the government tally showed nearly 200 buildings completely flattened and several hundred severely damaged.
The rising toll of casualties now includes 5,000 injured.
In El Junquito, a small mountainous region about 20 miles west of Caracas, residents say farmers and other residents have been providing basic supplies to the community in the absence of any government officials.
“We are waiting for answers, for debris to be cleaned up, for inspections,” said Keily Ibarra, a 33-year-old local leading citizen complaints to authorities.
El Junquito’s commercial centre was largely destroyed by the quakes. Several residents with nowhere else to go have set up tents in an open field, despite the risk posed by damaged and collapsed buildings nearby.
“We don’t know where we are going to be located or how long we are going to be here,” said Tony Abreu, the owner of a local candy store who has been living in a tent since the quakes.
Signaling rising tensions surrounding the politics of the recovery effort, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said the Venezuelan government had blocked her entry from Panama but resolved to find a way back to help the victims.
“At this moment, I am willing to do whatever it takes, speak to whoever I need to speak to, in order to coordinate and serve our people,” Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, said in a video on X.
It comes as the international community has rallied to help Venezuela deal with the disaster.
Authorities said the oil-rich South American country has received support from 30 nations, including 1,000 metric tons of supplies, more than 3,600 rescue and support workers as well as 118 search-and-rescue canines. It is unclear how many people are still trapped.
Websites where citizens register missing loved ones show about 45,000 people unaccounted for.
Jorge Rodriguez, the acting president’s brother and president of the National Assembly, on Monday put the number of confirmed dead at 1,719, with 5,034 injured and 15,866 left homeless.
There was some cheer with the rescue of 21-year-old Aaron Levi from a collapsed building, pulled out after 106 hours trapped under the rubble.
Interim president Delcy Rodriguez applauded Venezuelans for their calm and strength, blaming any anger against the government on misinformation.
“Do not pay attention to rumors, do not let yourselves be led by manipulation strategies on social networks or by media manipulation that seek nothing but to increase unrest and anxiety,” Rodriguez said. “Official information is the only one that truly has the truth to share with you.”