- The USGS says a magnitude 4.6 aftershock struck north of Caracas.
- La Guaira in focus as 24-hour search operations enter fifth day.
- Residents of El Junquito accuse authorities of a slow and uneven humanitarian response.
EL JUNQUITO: Frustration is growing across Venezuela over a lack of aid and a coordinated government response in areas hit by two deadly earthquakes last Wednesday, residents of some hard-hit towns said Monday.
In El Junquito, a small mountainous region about 20 miles (33 km) west of Caracas where Venezuelans often vacation on weekends, residents say they have seen few officials, while farmers and other residents provide basic goods to the community.
“We’re waiting for answers, for the debris to be cleaned up, for inspections, for the people who were really affected to be helped,” said Keily Ibarra, a 33-year-old manicurist who initiated citizens’ complaints to authorities. She called on the government to do “what needs to be done”.
The El Junquito shopping center was largely destroyed by the earthquakes, with collapsed buildings visible during a Reuters tour. Several residents with nowhere to go set up tents in an open field, despite the risk posed by damaged and collapsed buildings nearby.
“We don’t know where we’re going to be or how long we’re going to be here,” said Tony Abreu, a local candy store owner who has been living in a tent since the quake because his home and business are unsafe.
Rising death toll
Separately, a hotel near Maiquetia airport where more than 140 people deported from the United States, including seven children, were staying while being processed by Venezuelan authorities, collapsed during the earthquakes, according to two families of deportees. Most would have been killed.
The government’s Great Homecoming Mission, which handles the processing of deportees, shared videos online Wednesday of the arrivals, including children receiving toys.
While several international aid and relief groups have mobilized in Venezuela, most of the aid has been concentrated in La Guaira, the hardest-hit state in a country long mired in a deep political and economic crisis.
The international community has mobilized to help Venezuela cope with the disaster. Authorities said the oil-rich South American country received support from 30 countries, including 1,000 tonnes of supplies, more than 3,600 rescue workers and support workers and 118 search and rescue dogs.
The death toll continued to rise. Jorge Rodriguez, brother of the interim president and speaker of the National Assembly, on Monday put the number of confirmed deaths at 1,719, with 5,034 injured and 15,866 homeless.
Monday’s power outages prevented a refinery, petrochemical complex and other industrial facilities in the country’s central region from restarting, industry sources said.
Despite these problems, state oil company PDVSA does not expect a domestic fuel shortage as production from refineries in the country’s eastern and western regions is able to meet demand even after increased use by relief teams, they said.
Oil production and exports remained normal, the sources said.
Search for survivors amid aftershocks
Caracas residents’ homes were rocked by an aftershock early Monday, while rescue teams searched around the clock for a fifth day.
The aftershock, measuring 4.6 magnitude, hit northern Caracas early Monday at a depth of 10 km (6 miles), according to the U.S. Geological Survey, but Rodriguez said no damage was immediately reported.
It is the latest of hundreds of aftershocks since last Wednesday that have rocked national and international teams carrying out rescue operations, with each rescue raising hope as the window for finding survivors shrinks.
Apparent miracles included the rescue of Aaron Levi, 21, from a collapsed building in the disaster-stricken state of La Guaira, pulled out after 106 hours trapped under the rubble in a rescue operation that lasted 43 hours, according to Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez.
After announcing the updated death toll, Assembly Speaker Rodriguez said 15 shelters had been set up in La Guaira as well as 50 temporary camps to help those affected by the earthquakes.
He praised Venezuelans for their calm and strength, attributing any anger against the government to misinformation.
“Do not pay attention to rumors, do not be guided by manipulative strategies on social networks or by media manipulations that only seek to increase agitation and anxiety,” Rodriguez said. “Official information is the only information that really contains the truth to share with you.”
A senior U.S. administration official said three U.S. citizens had died and 12 were missing since the earthquakes, and that a State Department task force had responded to more than 300 inquiries from Americans seeking advice. A second official said he estimated there were about 5,000 U.S. citizens in Venezuela.
