Venezuela Continues Rescue and Debris Removal Eight Days After Earthquakes

Eight days after powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela, rescue and debris removal operations persist in the hardest-hit areas of La Guaira. International rescue teams continue their search efforts, fueled by a recent success: the extraction of Hernán Gil, a 43-year-old security guard, from beneath the rubble after more than 80 hours of intensive work.

This rescue, involving over 100 international rescuers, offered a rare moment of hope amidst the ongoing devastation. Despite such successes, the chances of finding more survivors diminish with each passing hour. The earthquakes have officially claimed at least 2,295 lives and left 11,267 injured, according to the latest official figures.

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We need help beyond Tanaguarena, Quebrada Seca, Osma, Oritapo, Todasana. In that community itself, they were not affected, but people are desperate asking for help because there is no food.

Thousands of displaced residents are seeking refuge in temporary shelters or camping outdoors, facing precarious living conditions. Many families have painted messages on the facades of their damaged homes, such as "We are alive" or "Complete family," signaling their status to authorities and aid workers. Authorities are marking buildings to indicate their habitability.

Aid distribution remains a challenge, particularly for more remote communities that suffered less structural damage but are now facing severe shortages of food and supplies due to destroyed roads. While international aid and citizen donations are arriving, residents express frustration over the perceived lack of government resources in the affected areas. UN agencies have established three shelters in La Guaira, intended to operate for at least a month, providing essential support to thousands.

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Thank God, for the international help that has reached out to us and for (President Nayib) Bukele. We should have a statue of him here in Venezuela when La Guaira is recovered because La Guaira is a disaster... we did not see any resources from the Government.