Venezuela latest: Earthquake survivors share their stories but rescue teams’ hopes are fading

Image source, Reuters

Many Venezuelans have been critical of the government’s response to last week’s earthquakes, saying equipment and state manpower have been lacking, with many communities undertaking rescue work themselves.

The first 72 hours after a disaster are crucial for finding people – it’s now been more than 100 since the earthquakes hit on Wednesday.

One man, Wilber, who said he had lost eight of his relatives, told the BBC on Sunday the state has been a hindrance, not a help.

“The government decided to close the streets,” he said, adding it was “making it harder to bring help”.

“Yesterday we waited from 6am to 4pm to get a special permission to come here. We wasted hours,” he said.

There have been multiple reports of people searching the rubble with their bare hands in an effort to find loved ones.

Over the weekend, a Mexican fireman and disaster assessment specialist told the BBC the situation was “extremely challenging”, with the country’s rescue equipment “decades behind international standards”.

Similarly, there have been reports that the health system has been overwhelmed by the challenge, with one doctor saying the state struggled to provide healthcare even on a “normal day” before the disaster.

Opposition leaders say the government has mismanaged the economy and public services for years, reducing its capacity to respond. The government itself says rescuers have been deployed and the state is co-ordinating the response.