Emergency teams with rescue dogs are still searching for survivors after twin earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening, killing at least 1,450 people and injuring 3,150. Nearly 200 buildings have completely collapsed, and more than 770 have been severely damaged, according to National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez.
A man and his teenage son were pulled alive from the rubble in Caraballeda, about 40 kilometres north of Caracas, by French and American rescue teams on Sunday. The rescue offered a rare glimmer of hope in a disaster that has compounded the country's existing economic crisis. But with the critical 72-hour window for rescuing trapped victims now closed, the search has largely shifted to recovering bodies.
International Response and Local Frustration
Rescue teams from the United States, Mexico, and other nations have been working alongside local volunteers. In the San Bernardino neighbourhood of Caracas, volunteers used drills to break concrete and formed human chains to remove rubble by hand. In Chacao, electronic screens normally used for advertising now display the faces of missing people in an effort to reunite families.
Interim President Delcy Rodríguez praised the international response, noting that 24 countries have sent 521 tonnes of supplies, 86 dog teams, and more than 2,700 search-and-rescue personnel. The United States, which captured former president Nicolás Maduro in a January raid on Caracas, has deployed 250 disaster response personnel, with an additional 230 military personnel arriving to expand airport capacity and reopen a key seaport. The European Union has also deployed rescue teams to assist in the effort.
Despite this, frustration is boiling over in some areas. In the coastal city of La Guaira, one of the worst-hit areas, residents have complained of slow and meagre aid from authorities. Hector Aguilera, searching for four family members buried in the rubble, told reporters: "We don't have the support to get our family out, we can't do it alone. They are buried there, we know they are dead, but here we are." Looting has broken out in La Guaira, with pharmacies and supermarkets ransacked. In the Tanaguarena area, a man shouted at soldiers: "The country needs you. Put down your weapon," urging them to pick up picks and shovels instead.
Economic and Humanitarian Fallout
The United Nations migration agency estimates that up to 6.76 million people could be affected, requiring shelter, water, sanitation, healthcare, and essential relief items. The UN has estimated $6.7 billion (€5.8 billion) in physical damage, equivalent to 6% of Venezuela's GDP. The earthquakes come after more than a decade of economic collapse that has hollowed out hospitals and public services, driving millions to emigrate.
Opposition figure Maria Corina Machado, currently in exile, announced she will return "very soon" to Venezuela. "The time has come," she told Fox News. "We need to be together, to embrace, to grieve and mourn together, but also to give each other strength at this difficult time."
As the rescue phase winds down, the focus shifts to recovery and reconstruction. The international community continues to provide aid, but the scale of the disaster—and the fragility of Venezuela's institutions—poses a daunting challenge. For now, the country mourns its dead while grappling with the immense task of rebuilding.
