More Than 3,340 Dead After Double Earthquake in Venezuela – Criticism of Government Grows

According to United Nations estimates, however, the number could be as high as 50,000. The government once again provided no information on the number of those still missing. This news was broadcast on July 5, 2026, on the program Deutschlandfunk.

Growing Criticism of the Authorities

Meanwhile, frustration is growing over what some have described as a delayed and insufficient response to the disaster. Survivors and aid organizations had accused the authorities of sluggishness and inefficiency. There is a lack of heavy equipment for clearing debris, which is why rescue operations are being carried out largely by civilians and foreign aid workers.

The authorities also quantify the material damage as dramatic. According to figures, more than 17,300 people lost their homes. Families in La Guaira and adjacent coastal areas have been searching for relatives for days, while power and water supplies remain disrupted in several communities.

Government Defends Its Actions

Interim President Delcy Rodriguez defended the government's actions in a speech marking the 215th anniversary of Venezuelan independence. She stated that she had promptly deployed security forces. She had immediately dispatched response teams and an emergency unit from the military.

At the same time, the transitional president announced the creation of a new military unit to assist in emergencies and disasters. Transitional President Rodriguez rejected criticism of the rescue efforts. Observers see this as an attempt to defend her own response against growing public doubts.

International Aid and the Missing

The gap between the official narrative and eyewitness accounts from the disaster zones remains wide. International aid workers report slow coordination and a lack of heavy equipment, meaning that some people trapped under rubble were not recovered until days after the tremors. Aid organizations are calling for unimpeded access to the affected areas.

The Venezuelan government is thus under domestic political pressure, while international concern is growing. The United Nations has recently revised its estimates of the missing significantly upward, reducing hopes that the death toll will fall soon.

With the new military unit and the reference to security forces already deployed, Rodriguez is attempting to defuse criticism. At the same time, dissatisfaction is growing among the population and rescue workers over the pace and scale of relief efforts.

The coming days are considered decisive in determining whether the authorities can noticeably improve the supply of survivors and provide a transparent accounting of the missing. Without heavy equipment and additional foreign aid, recovery efforts are likely to proceed only slowly, warn aid workers on the ground.