The consecutive earthquakes that shook Venezuela on June 24 left at least 2,645 dead and more than 12,500 injured, according to official figures. The catastrophe has tested the interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, whose interim term expires this Friday. While she defends her government’s response, exiled opposition leader María Corina Machado – Nobel Peace Prize winner – seeks to return to the country to press for a democratic transition.
Government response and political tensions
In his first press conference after the earthquakes, Rodríguez attributed the criticism to “media prepared in laboratories” and stated that rescue teams were deployed immediately. However, residents reported that during the first 48 hours there was no official support or heavy machinery. The government claims to have sent thousands of rescuers and 11 international field hospitals, and approved a reconstruction fund.
Machado, from Panama, maintained that the government response showed “the total absence of the State” and called for trust in alternative leaderships. His party has created a database with 36,000 missing people and mobilized volunteers to collect donations. Machado was prohibited from running in 2024, when Nicolás Maduro claimed victory, although opposition counts show that Edmundo González, his candidate, won by more than 2 to 1.
The United States has backed Rodríguez since Maduro’s capture in January, praising his oil sector reforms. Two U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that Washington discouraged Machado from returning after the earthquakes, fearing he would lead protests. Rodríguez closed commercial air traffic to Caracas, canceling humanitarian aid flights.
Expiry of mandate and uncertain future
The Venezuelan Constitution establishes that the president’s temporary absences can be covered by the vice presidency for up to 90 days, extendable for another 90. That period expires today, but the authorities have not announced what they will do. The National Assembly, controlled by Rodríguez’s party, can call early elections if it declares the position vacant.
International organizations have pledged hundreds of millions of dollars in aid. Doctors Without Borders warns that the magnitude of the suffering is still emerging. “We know there are still bodies under the collapsed buildings,” said Andreas Spaett, the group’s Venezuela coordinator. “This is one of the great natural disasters in human history.”
