Rescuers press on eight days after twin earthquakes strike northern Venezuela

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10 days · 17 summary articles
Rescuers in Venezuela pressed on Friday with the grim task of searching for survivors eight days after twin earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 struck northern Venezuela on 24 June, as hope of finding anyone alive faded and the confirmed death toll rose to 2,595 with 12,400 injured. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez defended her government’s response to the disaster, which has drawn days of criticism over the speed and scale of relief efforts.
Rodríguez rejected accusations that her administration reacted too slowly and denied claims that official casualty figures were under-reported, even as families in coastal cities like La Guaira accused local officials of abandoning them and leaving rescue teams without adequate equipment . In the capital, Rodríguez thanked 31 countries, including Türkiye, for sending rescue teams and humanitarian aid; Turkish teams remain on the ground with 75 personnel, five vehicles, and six rescue dogs conducting round-the-clock operations .
Infrastructure damage is mounting, with hospitals overwhelmed and disease risks growing as sanitation collapses in quake-hit areas . The crisis has also exposed the plight of deportees from the United States: 147 men, women, and children who arrived in Caracas after deportation were held in a hotel that later collapsed; only 12 have been found alive .
International solidarity has taken symbolic form, with Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer monument lit in Venezuelan colours and the message “SOS Venezuela” projected onto its surface . Spain’s emergency committee has raised €1 million in seven days for food, water, sanitation, and care for unaccompanied minors, while NGOs are distributing health kits and hygiene supplies .
Against this backdrop, Rodríguez praised support from figures including Donald Trump and Marco Rubio, framing the response as swift and effective despite the mounting criticism . Yet the human toll continues to rise: Spain’s foreign ministry confirmed 29 Spanish fatalities and 154 missing, up from 27 dead earlier in the week .
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