Venezuela: 33 rescued over the weekend, but hope fades

The chances of finding more survivors after the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela are diminishing as the critical 96-hour window for rescue efforts closed late Sunday.

Despite the grim outlook, rescue teams, many from international contingents, continue their work, holding onto hope for miraculous discoveries. Over the weekend, a total of 33 people were pulled alive from the rubble. These efforts come as the confirmed death toll has risen to 1,450, with tens of thousands still unaccounted for, according to a website where Venezuelans search for missing loved ones.

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Miracle rescues happen from time to time. You always have to hope that you can make a difference.

On Sunday, two 11-year-old boys were rescued from separate collapsed buildings. One of the boys was found trapped under three meters of debris, near his deceased mother and sister. American and French rescue teams also successfully extracted a man and his teenage son alive from a severely affected area in La Guaira.

The Venezuelan government has drawn criticism for its disaster response, particularly concerning the lack of heavy machinery. Numerous reports describe survivors digging through the rubble with their bare hands. "I got my daughter out halfway. But they give us no equipment," one resident in La Guaira told Reuters, highlighting the desperate situation.

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I got my daughter out halfway. But they give us no equipment.