In Venezuela Earthquake Survivors Say They Can Only Count On themselves

In Venezuela, Earthquake Survivors Say They Can Only Count on Themselves VENEZUELA Venezuela Single mother Astrid Arnaude, 35, and her eight-year-old daughter, Jade Hernández, endured 60 hours trapped under the rubble after two earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24. They distracted themselves by talking to each other. “We had deep conversations about spirituality and life,” Arnaude told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. “(Jade) told me, ‘I don’t want to suffer, Mama. If we die, I don’t want that we suffer.’ And that was like the faith that maintained us, that allowed us to hold on through so much.” Luckily, they survived thanks to rescue teams and volunteers, including heroes like Darwin Rodriguez, a mechanic nicknamed Culebrita (Little Snake) for his skill in slithering into tight spaces to save his fellow citizens. “I’m not afraid,” Rodriguez, 32, said in an interview with the Guardian about his rescue missions. “But you need to be brave to do this.” The 7.2-magnitude and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes struck within a minute of each other around 100 miles west of the capital of Caracas around dinnertime. The quakes brought down buildings, ignited fires and trapped thousands in rubble. By mid-July, more than 4,500 people had been confirmed dead. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez, who assumed office after American special forces seized her predecessor, former President Nicolás Maduro, in early January, declared a state of emergency and sent appeals to US President Donald Trump for assistance. About 2,000 US service members supported the relief effort. These efforts have made little impact on the ground, however. Years of economic mismanagement, corruption and poor oversight under Rodríguez and Maduro’s socialist governments, and the toll of American sanctions imposed over alleged corruption and repression, have eroded public services. It’s not clear if the Venezuelan government can weather the housing and public health crisis that it is now facing. Currently, thousands of survivors remain outdoors, afraid of damaged homes, looting and heavy rains. Those in makeshift, crowded camps face disease outbreaks, doctors warned. Maria Piñate, a 64-year-old pensioner, was living in an apartment in downtown Caracas when the earthquakes hit. “We don’t dare go back in – the walls will fall on top of us,” she told Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, pointing to cracks in the façade of the building. Living in her car, she is better off than many of her neighbors, whose tents fill with water when the heavy rains fall. “There are lots of people – far too many people – who have truly lost everything,” she added. Following the disaster, the future of tens of thousands of people is up in the air. Many have lost homes and jobs in a country where the majority was already struggling to survive. Meanwhile, many Venezuelans are furious at the government’s tepid response, pointing at a failure to mobilize the heavy machinery and manpower needed to rescue survivors, and at poorly built public housing, insufficient safety regulations and disaster preparation. They say the first responders were fishermen, doctors and émigrés returning from abroad to help. Citing what she called the government’s incompetence, corruption, and slow disaster response, exiled Venezuelan Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado called on the Venezuelan and American governments to allow her to return and help lead a transition in a time of tragedy. Nearly half of Venezuelans said holding new elections was more urgent than rebuilding, Bloomberg reported, citing polls. More than 63 percent disapproved of Rodríguez’s job performance. Whether a new government can solve the enormous problems the country currently faces is an open question. At the moment, many Venezuelans say they feel deserted and can only rely on themselves. As a result, neighbors, friends and strangers – even those abroad – organized themselves, conducted rescues and provided shelter, food and hope to many hurt by the quakes. They realized, they said, they only have each other to count on. “Where is the government, the president, the helicopters, the aid?” asked Sabrina Carranza, 21, who lost her home in the disaster, in an interview with the Washington Post. “The police come, take pictures and leave. They are making fun of us.”