CARACAS — Venezuela's confirmed death toll from last week's twin earthquakes has risen to nearly 2,000 as emergency crews and international rescue teams continued searching damaged buildings on Wednesday, even as hopes of finding more survivors diminished nearly a week after the disaster.
National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said during a televised briefing that almost 2,000 people had been confirmed dead, with more than 10,000 injured and roughly 15,000 displaced following the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes that struck less than a minute apart on June 24. He said rescue and relief operations were continuing as authorities expanded access to affected areas and aftershocks became less frequent.
The earthquakes devastated coastal communities, particularly in La Guaira state, and damaged homes, hospitals, roads and other critical infrastructure, including the country's main international airport. Thousands of buildings were affected, complicating rescue operations and slowing the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Search-and-rescue personnel from dozens of countries remained on the ground alongside Venezuelan emergency responders, using heavy equipment, search dogs and specialized detection technology to look for people trapped beneath collapsed structures. Authorities said foreign governments and aid organizations continued delivering humanitarian supplies to the disaster zone.
Residents and volunteers have also played a prominent role in recovery efforts, with many searching through debris using limited equipment while awaiting additional machinery. Some survivors and aid workers have criticized what they described as a slow official response, while the government has rejected allegations of widespread mismanagement and said it is coordinating relief operations under difficult conditions.
Separately, Venezuelan authorities arrested four police officers accused of looting cash from a collapsed building in La Guaira after videos circulated on social media. Officials said the officers were suspended and disciplinary proceedings had begun, describing the alleged conduct as unacceptable during the emergency response.
The disaster has prompted an international humanitarian response, with the United States deploying military personnel and rescue assets to assist relief operations alongside teams from numerous other countries. Aid agencies have warned that displaced residents face increasing risks from disrupted healthcare, damaged infrastructure and shortages of essential supplies as recovery efforts continue.
Authorities said casualty figures could continue to rise as crews gain access to heavily damaged areas and complete searches of collapsed buildings.
