Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 1,700

Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Surpasses 1,700 As Frustration Grows Over Response VENEZUELA Venezuela Rescuers continued hunting for survivors near Caracas as the death toll from Venezuela’s twin earthquakes rose to more than 1,700 Monday amid growing frustration and anger over what Venezuelans called an inadequate government response. National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez announced the death toll Monday, adding that around 5,030 people were injured and more than 15,800 were displaced. Around 800 buildings had collapsed. Around 30,000 Venezuelan rescue workers and 2,700 foreign ones continued to search the rubble of buildings following the back-to-back earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.2 and 7.5 respectively that struck near the coastal city of La Guaira, close to Caracas, on Wednesday. According to the United Nations humanitarian affairs agency, 44 international urban search-and-rescue teams, comprising 2,245 specialists and 140 search dogs, have been deployed to Venezuela. More teams arrived Monday. However, up to 68,000 people remain missing, and the critical 72-hour window for rescuing survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings expired late Saturday. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez stressed that rescue operations “are not being suspended” after authorities found 33 survivors over the weekend. She added that electricity, water and road access had been largely restored in La Guaira. Despite government claims that around 14,000 security personnel have been deployed, many Venezuelans criticized the response as disorganized or insufficient. In one instance, civilians blocked an excavator from leaving the site of a collapsed building after state workers took selfies with it and left without offering any help. The disaster comes as Venezuela continues to grapple with years of economic hardship that have driven nearly nine million people to flee abroad following the collapse of the oil industry and rising poverty. Observers said the crisis represents a major test for Rodríguez, who assumed office after former President Nicolás Maduro was captured in a US military raid earlier this year. Rodríguez has pledged to pursue change and has worked closely with the Trump administration.