Venezuelan Citizen Blames Official for Faulty Housing That Collapsed in Quakes

A Venezuelan citizen has directly confronted an official, blaming him for the poor quality of housing constructed by an Iranian company that subsequently collapsed during recent earthquakes, killing her daughter. Damelis Díaz spoke out against Nicolás Maduro Guerra, holding him responsible for supporting the Iranian firm Suma, which was tasked with building a housing complex in Catia La Mar.

Díaz stated that the infrastructure suffered operational failures from its inception, and the shoddy construction quality directly led to her daughter's death during the seismic events on June 24. She emphasized that the building collapses were not isolated incidents but a consequence of institutional negligence in awarding public contracts. She recounted confronting the official, saying, "I demanded it because they know that the Suma company is responsible. There was already a precedent, and they wanted to politicize it. They sold this housing with cutting-edge and anti-seismic technology. You can see it in the Hugo Chávez videos, and it has nothing to do with reality."

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I demanded it because they know that the Suma company is responsible. There was already a precedent, and they wanted to politicize it. They sold this housing with cutting-edge and anti-seismic technology. You can see it in the Hugo Chávez videos, and it has nothing to do with reality.

Residents of Catia La Mar have detailed that various civil engineering reports had previously anticipated the risks of constructing large-scale structures on unstable coastal terrain. Díaz also referenced a 21-year-old study from Japan that warned of Caracas and La Guaira's high seismic vulnerability. The study highlighted that these areas could suffer severe earthquake damage due to their geological location, soil characteristics, and flaws in urban planning and construction.

Díaz reported that authorities have taken no new measures since the earthquake and that she experienced aggression from the official delegation's escorts. She expressed that collective fear stems from the absence of effective governance. "There is a lack of government, and that is the fear we have. We ask them to intervene and remove these people; we have no guarantee that they will build safe housing," Díaz stated. The residents argue that the Venezuelan state possessed the necessary scientific information to prevent mass settlement in areas of greatest tectonic danger.

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There is a lack of government, and that is the fear we have. We ask them to intervene and remove these people; we have no guarantee that they will build safe housing.