'A government that wakes up after 48 hours doesn't want to do anything': citizens reject restrictions after governmental abandonment

"A government that wakes up after 48 hours doesn't want to do anything." This sentiment captures the strong denunciations from families of the disappeared and volunteers who are rejecting restrictions imposed by the administration of Delcy Rodríguez. These restrictions limit access to the state of La Guaira, an area that received spontaneous support from hundreds of citizens during the critical hours of a tragedy, amid an apparent absence of governmental aid.

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A government that wakes up after 48 hours doesn't want to do anything.

Despite the official argument of maintaining order and facilitating rescue efforts, testimonies describe a starkly different reality. Volunteers assert that in the initial hours following the disaster, citizens themselves rescued survivors, fed the displaced, and cleared debris with virtually no official assistance. "People are dying here in Venezuela because the government doesn't want to provide the services as they should," one volunteer told El Nacional, speaking anonymously.

This volunteer recounted how, while neighbors organized makeshift brigades to remove concrete and search for survivors, authorities were nowhere to be found. "Yesterday, they pulled out living people because civilians were helping to move debris. Authorities arrived, told them to stop, and there were still living people who later died," the volunteer stated, describing scenes of abandonment.

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People are dying here in Venezuela because the government doesn't want to provide the services as they should.

The volunteer also witnessed police officers standing idly by while houses collapsed and people were trapped. "I saw police officers on the streets doing nothing, houses falling down and people who couldn't leave their properties because if they left, they would lose their place in the census (of the displaced). I saw people looting in front of police and no one did anything; a three-year-old child had gone 24 hours without eating and the authorities were hidden," the individual detailed.

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Yesterday, they pulled out living people because civilians were helping to move debris. Authorities arrived, told them to stop, and there were still living people who later died.

Delcy Rodríguez announced on Friday evening the creation of a mandatory registry for volunteers wishing to participate in support efforts. She urged the public to refrain from traveling to La Guaira, stating that the registry would begin at the Poliedro de Caracas, issuing credentials with QR codes. "Those who do not have rescue or security functions in the state of La Guaira, please refrain from going to the state because you are obstructing traffic," she declared, aiming to facilitate movement.

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I saw police officers on the streets doing nothing, houses falling down and people who couldn't leave their properties because if they left, they would lose their place in the census (of the displaced). I saw people looting in front of police and no one did anything; a three-year-old child had gone 24 hours without eating and the authorities were hidden.