Anger grows in Venezuela as earthquakes death toll reaches 1430

Tensions have flared as desperation grew in Venezuela’s state of La Guaira with rescuers and civilians searching for earthquake survivors as the death toll rose sharply to 1430.

Venezuela’s government said families reported at least 68,900 people missing, four days after the one-two punch of 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes devastated the South American nation.

Venezuelans looking for loved ones and neighbours used heavy equipment, shovels, ropes and bare hands atop mounds of toppled concrete throughout La Guaira, one of the hardest-hit states.

Tensions peaked over what many Venezuelans viewed as an inadequate response by the government, whose soldiers, firefighters, police and military cadets were evidently under-prepared to respond to the scope of the tragedy.

“There’s a pile of bodies over there from last night. Newborn babies,” said Mileidy Romero, who was among those searching in the seaside town of Caraballeada.

“At 8pm (Friday) there were people alive down there, and they haven’t bothered to rescue them. We’ve located several bodies, and they haven’t helped us recover them either. What are they waiting for?”

Aid agencies consider the first 48 to 72 hours as crucial for retrieving people alive, though that can be extended if they have access to food and water.

A growing number of international rescue teams were joining the effort. Venezuelan officials said 17 flights carrying more than 1600 rescue team members had touched down by Saturday.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said on state television that more than 14,000 members of the military and police are patrolling the area, where access is now blocked and special permits are required to enter.

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Some, frustrated by the government’s response, blocked an excavator from leaving the site of a collapse and pulled the operator from its cabin shortly after state workers took selfies in front of flattened buildings and left without helping. The ruling party’s officials often take selfies to show participation in government-related events.

The International Organization for Migration said more than 6 million people could be affected, about 2 million in the capital, Caracas, alone.

Search teams and foreign aid continued to arrive from Mexico, the US, Brazil, El Salvador, France and elsewhere.