'Out, out!' residents shout at Venezuela's acting president in earthquake zone

Residents in a Caracas neighborhood devastated by recent earthquakes booed and shouted at acting President Delcy Rodríguez during her visit to a rescue site. The incident, witnessed by an AFP journalist, highlighted the anger and frustration of people affected by the tremors.

Rodríguez visited the Petunia building, a 22-story structure that collapsed in eastern Caracas, where rescue operations were underway. The earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 degrees, struck Venezuela on Wednesday, causing the collapse of hundreds of buildings and leaving at least 920 dead according to official figures. The most affected area is La Guaira state.

As Rodríguez arrived, residents and relatives of those trapped under the rubble shouted "Out, out!" and "The government is doing nothing for the people." They accused her of using the tragedy for political campaigning. The crowd tried to approach the official entourage, filming them with their phones. Tensions escalated when soldiers cleared the street for Rodríguez's passage and when debris removal machinery stopped for her visit. One woman indignantly stated that her children had been volunteering for three days and were moved away for the presidential visit.

Hundreds of volunteers have been assisting in removing debris from the collapsed structures, mirroring efforts in other earthquake-stricken regions. The protesters demanded that rescue work continue, expressing their dismay at the interruption caused by the presidential visit.

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Fuera, fuera