French and U.S. rescue teams found a father and his teenage son alive under the rubble in the town of Caraballeda, about 40 kilometers north of the capital Caracas, AFP reporters reported on June 28. The discovery came nearly four days after two consecutive earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 struck the region, destroying nearly 200 buildings.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez praised rescue workers for pulling the survivors from the debris. "Today we rescued people who were still alive, and therefore these efforts will not be suspended. We always keep hope," she said.
The rescue brought a glimmer of hope in an unfolding tragedy that has shaken a nation already mired in economic crisis, but tens of thousands remain reported missing and the critical 72-hour window for rescuing trapped victims after a natural disaster has passed. Millions more are believed to lack sanitation and other basic necessities following one of the most devastating earthquake disasters in Latin America.
Rescue teams from the U.S., Mexico, and elsewhere raced to save people while desperate residents dug with bare hands for relatives trapped under layers of rubble from collapsed apartments. About 774 buildings were severely damaged by the two earthquakes that struck on Wednesday evening, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said. He reported 1,450 dead — a figure expected to rise — with 3,150 injured.
Even as rescue efforts continued, looting broke out in La Guaira, a port city near the country's main international airport. Much of the city lies in rubble after Wednesday's disaster. Pharmacies, supermarkets, and other businesses have been looted, according to residents, some of whom complained about slow and meager aid from authorities.
U.S. helicopters transported aid, and an additional 230 U.S. troops were arriving to help expand airport capacity and reopen a key seaport to boost relief efforts, the U.S. Southern Command said. The U.S. — which captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a military raid on Caracas in January — had previously sent a 250-person disaster response team.
The prospect of rescuing more survivors has dwindled. An unnamed El Salvadoran rescuer said, "At this point, they are probably corpses. Thank God maybe we can find people alive." Anger has erupted in some localities where residents say authorities have not done enough to rescue earthquake victims. "The country needs you. Put down your weapons," a man shouted at soldiers in the hard-hit Tanaguarena area of La Guaira state, urging them to pick up shovels instead.
Facing public outrage over the response of local officials, Acting President Rodríguez thanked other nations for their support. Twenty-four countries had sent 521 tons of supplies, 86 units with dogs trained to locate people trapped under rubble, and more than 2,700 search-and-rescue personnel, she said. The U.N. migration agency said up to 6.76 million people could be affected by the disaster and would need shelter, clean water, sanitation, health care, and essential relief items.
The worst earthquake in more than a century in Venezuela came after the oil-rich nation experienced more than a decade of economic decline. The crisis has weakened hospitals and public services, forcing millions to leave the country. The United Nations estimated the cost of physical repairs at $6.7 billion — equivalent to 6% of Venezuela's GDP.
On June 28, exiled Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado announced she would return to her homeland "very soon." "It's time," she told U.S. Fox News. "We need to be together, embrace, grieve and mourn together, but also to give each other strength in this difficult time."
