In Venezuela, Chavismo is Obstructing the Work of International Rescue Teams

Following the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela last Wednesday and caused massive destruction, international aid teams arriving in the region have faced restrictions and obstructions imposed by Chavismo officials. Despite approximately two thousand six hundred international rescuers from seventeen different countries reaching the area and securing abundant humanitarian aid supplies, these efforts have been disrupted by a de facto blockade created by local authorities. Officials are allegedly deliberately slowing down the intervention process by banning entries into rubble zones and creating bureaucratic hurdles. Even though more than ninety hours have passed since the earthquake, search and rescue operations cannot be carried out at full capacity. This time frame, which is extremely critical for rescuing survivors, is being massively wasted due to political obstructions.

The earthquakes, which began in the first days of the disaster, caused the complete collapse of more than three hundred eighty-three buildings and severely damaged over one thousand six hundred structures. According to official data, one thousand four hundred fifty people have lost their lives so far, while three thousand one hundred fifty people have been injured to varying degrees. More than twelve thousand people were left homeless, immediately falling into disaster victim status and requiring shelter in different areas. Despite this massive numerical devastation, the government's lack of crisis management and coordination is drawing significant backlash from the public and field teams. Venezuelans breaking their silence on social media harshly criticize the officials' incompetence and indifference to the events.

Particularly the attitude of the Minister of Interior and Justice, Diosdado Cabello, has sparked a huge wave of anger among both international and local teams. Cabello's argument with an American search and rescue brigadier in the La Guaira region stood out as a clear indication of how the government is sabotaging aid efforts. The minister's attempt to send the volunteer away with hand gestures, using the crowdedness of the area as an excuse, caused massive disappointment. Furthermore, residents reported that while the official posed next to an excavator in the same area to conduct propaganda showing that official aid had arrived, these heavy machinery were not actually being used in rubble removal efforts. Such ostentatious moves, far from alleviating the pain of the victims, have deeply shaken the confidence in the current government.

Incumbent President Delcy Rodríguez also drew heavy criticism with a four-hour press conference she organized for members of the international press and rescue teams. Although Rodríguez stated at the meeting that they wanted to thank the teams by keeping them from their work, this six-hour unnecessary waste of time was a huge lost opportunity for victims whose chances of survival were decreasing by the minute. Moreover, Rodríguez had previously faced intense backlash and protests from the local community during her visits to settlements such as Los Palos Grandes, Altamira, and La Castellana in the Chacao municipality. The victims shouting that they felt abandoned and that officials only visited the area for propaganda purposes revealed the extent of the outrage in society. The hatred and anger of the public towards the management is growing day by day, and analysts note that this situation creates a pressure cooker ready to explode.

On the other hand, road checks with heavy concrete blockades and unofficial transit fees imposed by military units and the National Guards on convoys carrying aid have paralyzed humanitarian assistance by road. These road clashes between Venezuelan volunteers and the police confirm that the aid delivery route has been brought entirely under government control and that local initiatives are being blocked. Even more concerning is that Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) soldiers, who arrived late in the disaster zones, are accused of looting valuables instead of rescuing citizens trapped under the rubble. The fact that soldiers, alleged to have found dollars in the wreckage in the La Guaira region, were forced to be torn apart by the local community caused a huge outcry on social media. Amidst all this chaos, although the government also announced a school holiday lasting another week and stated they would establish a technical commission to inspect the damage status of buildings using color-coded markings, the real situation on the ground appears much darker and more complex.