Venezuela earthquake: aid stolen and survivors abandoned among the ruins of La Guaira
Over 3,342 dead and 50,000 missing after the earthquake. Survivors report thefts of humanitarian aid and are paying out of pocket for cranes and heavy machinery to search for the living.
Survivors pay for rescue operations themselves whilst aid disappears
A mother and three minors were extracted alive from the Opp26 building in Tanaguarena, in the La Guaira region, shortly before dawn on Monday: they had remained buried under the rubble for approximately 290 hours. For rescue workers this is a "miracle", as reported by Il Fatto Quotidiano - Cronaca, in a context in which recovered bodies — some in advanced decomposition — now exceed 3,342. The number of people extracted alive from the rubble is estimated at 6,400, whilst 50,000 remain missing.
The international phase of the rescue operations has ended. Operations have been handed over to Venezuelan civil protection. But it is on the humanitarian aid front that survivors are now raising their complaints.
Armed groups and PSUV activists control donations
"Donations come from civil society, but they are controlled by armed groups and activists from the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, who distribute them at their discretion," denounced journalist Seir Contreras. Testimonies gathered by Ilfattoquotidiano.it describe a similar situation in the tent city in Caracas, near the Panteón Nacional. "They burst in here at night with weapons: they threaten us and blackmail us with aid, because they want to take control of the tent city. If we want a mattress they take our identity document," recounts a surviving mother.
In La Guaira, part of the aid appears to have been accumulated in the home of activist Antonia Valderrama, who is involved in the Comites locales de abastecimiento y producción (Clap), already at the centre of a scandal involving 5 billion dollars. The aid is being distributed without any oversight from local authorities. "Give them to the people — exclaimed a resident, Emanuel Mata —. That aid is not yours."
Thefts also denounced from within chavismo
The most serious accusations come from figures within chavismo itself. Valentín Santana, leader of the "La Piedrita" collective in the "23 de Enero" neighbourhood, has publicly denounced thefts of food and clothing, calling for urgent intervention by Intelligence and military Counter-Intelligence. "The government makes great sacrifices — he added —. But then the clever ones arrive, who steal and resell. We cannot allow it."
Medicines also disappeared from the McDonald's in La Guaira, converted into an emergency hospital. "There is chaos in delivery. The medicines disappear. They take them away," reported volunteer Mauro Monasterios. The mayor of Panama, Mayer Mizrachi, announced that part of the aid sent by his municipality, tracked with AirTag, had allegedly been located in Maturín, a city in eastern Venezuela that was not affected by the earthquake. Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello denied the report, describing it as part of an "orchestrated campaign" by the opposition.
The distribution of aid is partially coordinated by the United States: on Sunday the State Department carried out an inspection in Caracas. The Miraflores government is also attempting to involve Caritas Venezuela and other organisations established in the territory.
Collections to hire cranes: up to 15,000 dollars
In the absence of public resources, residents of the José Antonio Páez and Perlamar complexes have organised collections to hire cranes and heavy machinery. Costs range from one thousand to 15,000 dollars, depending on the extent of the work. "There are still more than ninety people alive under the building — explains a family member, Valentina Pérez —. We have to try. The crane has to be a hundred tonnes." Individual contributions range from ten to two hundred dollars, a sum greater than an entire monthly salary. Many turn to relatives who have emigrated abroad, who have greater spending capacity.
"All that remains for us is 'do-it-yourself' aid — recounts Nelson Molina to Ilfatto.it —, because the State has decided to turn its back on us. And even the international rescue workers did not have sufficient equipment. We were left alone."
Heavy machinery diverted towards affluent areas
According to confidential sources cited by Ilfattoquotidiano.it, much of the heavy machinery was intentionally moved to the more affluent areas of La Guaira, prioritising relatives of people linked to business and local elites. Working-class neighbourhoods such as Punta de Mulatos, Soublette and El Cardonal did not even receive a government inspection.
"There are so many people without assistance — denounces Nolys Rojas, from Soublette —. Our apartments have deep cracks. We need tents and mattresses. There is fear, we cannot sleep inside the house." Residents fear delayed collapses, as has already occurred at the "San Judas Tadeo" school and the "El Niño y El Mar" paediatric hospital, where sixteen children died.
Source: Il Fatto Quotidiano - Cronaca