A glimmer of hope pierced the pervasive misery blanketing Venezuela’s earthquake-ravaged northern La Guaira on Thursday, as rescue teams pulled a man alive from the rubble eight days after devastating tremors.
Hernán Alberto Gil Flores, 43, was extricated from a collapsed shopping mall in the port city of Catia La Mar, a testament to nearly 100 hours of relentless effort by rescuers from across the Americas.
Trapped in an air pocket, Flores survived on water and sustenance passed to him through the debris. His emergence on a stretcher, carried to an ambulance amidst cheering throngs, offered a rare moment of triumph amid widespread devastation.
This brief joy stood in stark contrast to the grim reality unfolding across the region, where black smoke billowed from flattened buildings, the smell of decomposing bodies hung heavy, and officials continued to carry body bags and stack caskets, underscoring the immense tragedy.
Thousands more did not make it that far.
Venezuela’s government said as of Wednesday that at least 2,295 were killed and more than 11,000 were wounded. Thousands more were sleeping in crowded shelters or outside, or remained missing as family members searched the rubble. The aftermath has left medics worried that the fallout could pave the way for a widening medical crisis of untreated injuries and infectious diseases in a healthcare system already on the brink.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez continued to face mounting criticisms by Venezuelans over the government’s inadequate handling of the earthquakes — civilian and international rescue efforts have far overshadowed the Venezuelan government response.
Uncertainty over Rodríguez’s leadership
The criticism came just a day before the extension of Rodríguez’s 180-day mandate as acting leader was set to expire. Rodríguez served as deputy to former President Nicolás Maduro until he was ousted by the United States in January and she became interim leader with the backing of the Trump administration.
With little transparency by Venezuelan officials, it was unclear what would happen once the deadline passes on Friday.
Under Venezuela’s constitution, temporary absences are to be filled by the vice president — which was Rodríguez’s former role — for up to 90 days. These interim appointments can be extended by the national assembly for an additional 90 days.
The Venezuelan leader has strong support from lawmakers and the Trump administration. The National Assembly, controlled by Rodríguez’s party, can trigger a snap election if lawmakers declare the post permanently vacant.
U.S. support of a government under fire
Since ousting Maduro, the U.S. has played an increasingly role in Venezuelan affairs, in a seismic shift to relations between the historically adversarial nations.
The Trump administration has thrown support behind Rodríguez, increasingly turned their backs on opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who this week accused Rodríguez’s government of blocking her return to her country. The government has also sought to remake Venezuela’s oil industry, and has opened to door for Venezuela’s state oil company to sell fuel to U.S. companies.
The U.S. continued to throw support behind her government Wednesday in the face of criticism, and officials said there were 900 military personnel currently on the ground to support relief and rescue operations.
John M. Barrett, the U.S. chargé d’affaires to Venezuela, pushed back against accusations that Rodríguez was politicizing response efforts in a call with reporters, saying the U.S. response “does require a high level of coordination with local authorities to be successful.” He added that Venezuela’s oil and gas production was not directly impacted by the earthquakes, and said production continues to increase.
“What I can say with confidence is that the local authorities have fully complied with our requests and have accelerated this massive humanitarian response,” Barrett said.
Gen. Francis Donovan, head of U.S. Southern Command, added during the call that “decades of poor investment in the people of Venezuela” had “made this even more challenging for the current government.”
“It is a big problem for any leader to deal with a challenge of this magnitude,” Donovan said.
