In the coastal city of La Guaira, Venezuela, residents continue to search for survivors among the rubble of collapsed buildings nearly a week after two devastating earthquakes struck the region. Frustration is mounting as heavy machinery sits unused due to a lack of fuel, despite the country possessing the world’s largest reported oil reserves.
CNN witnessed a government excavator standing idle next to a pile of concrete and bent rebar. When asked why the machine was not operating, the operator stated there was no gasoline available. This has forced many Venezuelans to use pickaxes, shovels, and their bare hands to break apart collapsed high-rise apartment buildings in search of loved ones.
Political analyst Carmen Beatriz Fernández expressed outrage, stating that the tragedy reflects a broader failure where state capabilities were dedicated solely to repression and propaganda, dismantling the state’s capacity to provide basic needs.
Opposition leader María Corina Machado has announced her intention to return to Venezuela from exile in the US, citing the crisis as motivation. Meanwhile, the government has defended its response, with top lawmaker Jorge Rodríguez touting a volunteer initiative and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello urging citizens to organize in communes for rescue efforts.
The official death toll stands at 1,943, but the US Geological Survey estimates tens of thousands may be dead. The United Nations is procuring 10,000 body bags in anticipation of more casualties. At La Guaira’s port, rows of caskets are stacked high on the docks.
Among the desperate searchers is Deivis Ramos, whose two daughters, aged seven and two, were staying with grandparents who also died in the quakes. He has been digging continuously since the first earthquake struck. “I can’t think about crying,” Ramos said. “Tears won’t move a single stone. What I need is strength and will.”
