Venezuela quake backlash tests Rodríguez as death toll climbs

Two powerful earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela on June 24 set off a backlash that quickly became a test of acting President Delcy Rodríguez’s authority. The quakes were the country’s strongest in more than a century.

Rodríguez, whose 180-day interim mandate was set to expire on July 3, defended the government’s response after days of criticism over the pace and efficiency of rescue work. Much of the outrage focused on the first 72 hours after the disaster, when civilian and international teams were doing most of the visible work while the state lagged behind.

The human toll climbed by the day. More than 1,700 people were reported dead by June 29, then 2,595 by July 2, 2,645 by July 3 and 3,535 by July 6. Nearly 18,000 people were reported homeless more than a week after the earthquakes, and thousands more were still missing or unaccounted for. A NASA satellite assessment estimated that about 58,870 buildings were likely damaged or destroyed, with the heaviest losses concentrated along the Caribbean coast, especially in La Guaira and Caracas.

The disaster hit a country already under severe strain. Before the earthquakes, hospitals were already short of medicines and equipment, daily power outages were routine and at least 8 million people needed humanitarian support. Complaints about shelter, aid delivery and damaged infrastructure spread faster than official assurances.

The opposition tried to seize the opening. María Corina Machado said she was willing to do whatever it takes to enter Venezuela to help with recovery efforts, sharpening the political fight around the disaster response. Rodríguez responded by accusing opponents of exploiting the tragedy and comparing it with Venezuela’s devastating 1812 earthquake, arguing that critics were using a natural disaster to destabilize the constitutional order.