Venezuela Declares Seven Days of Mourning After Devastating Earthquakes

Venezuela is observing seven days of national mourning after earthquakes devastated the country, claiming nearly 2,000 lives and leaving thousands missing. The search for survivors is nearing its end, with the focus shifting to providing essential aid to the vast number of displaced individuals.

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The search for survivors is nearing its end in Venezuela a week after the earthquakes that left about 2,000 dead and thousands missing, amid desolation and the urgency of aid for the victims.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced the period of mourning, expressing the nation's grief. In areas like Catia La Mar, a coastal resort town heavily impacted by the tremors, the sounds of rescue efforts have given way to a somber silence. Many collapsed buildings are now marked with a 'D' for 'deceased,' indicating they have been inspected by rescue teams.

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We are not wasting time in a place where we do not expect to recover people alive.

Javier Rodes, a coordinator for a Spanish rescue group, stated that time is no longer being spent in areas where no survivors are expected. Official figures indicate 1,943 deaths and thousands missing, though the UN estimates the number of missing persons could be as high as 50,000. Rodríguez conveyed that Venezuela's "soul is torn by the human losses caused by the devastating earthquakes."

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Venezuela's soul is torn by the human losses caused by the devastating earthquakes.

Despite the grim reality, a glimmer of hope emerged with the rescue of a three-year-old boy found alive under rubble. However, for the tens of thousands left homeless, the immediate needs are dire. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has warned of insufficient food supplies. Many survivors are living in precarious conditions in parking lots, sports fields, or makeshift camps, enduring harsh weather without adequate shelter.

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I ask you to tell the truth about the death toll figures... it doesn't matter how they are, but that you bring them out so we can at least have their bodies.