VENEZUELAN Interim President Delcy Rodríguez has rejected accusations that her administration was slow to respond to the devastating twin earthquakes that struck the country last week, saying authorities mobilised emergency resources immediately despite widespread criticism over the pace of rescue and relief operations.
Speaking at her first press conference since assuming office in January following the removal of former president Nicolás Maduro by the United States, Rodríguez defended the government's response to the June 24 earthquakes, which measured magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 and have claimed 2,595 lives, according to official figures.
“It was a natural tragedy on a scale we never imagined, even though we knew that a seismic event could occur in our country,” Reuters quoted Rodríguez saying.
“We did not wait one, two or three days. We acted immediately.”
She said 4,000 emergency personnel were deployed immediately after the disaster, with the number increasing to 14,000 the following day and reaching 19,000 as rescue operations continued. Rodríguez added that an emergency decree had been issued to activate national disaster response protocols.
“We’ve done everything in our power, and we’ll continue to do everything in our power and more,” she said.
“I’ve had to go through some very painful experiences.”
Rodríguez said she had personally visited injured children in hospital who had lost limbs and family members during the disaster.
Her remarks came as survivors, volunteers, humanitarian organisations and international rescue teams continued to lead much of the search-and-rescue effort in the northern coastal state of La Guaira, where entire residential blocks and commercial buildings collapsed during the earthquakes.
Residents and aid workers have criticised the government's response, saying food, medical supplies and heavy machinery were slow to arrive, forcing volunteers to dig through rubble using shovels, pickaxes and their bare hands while awaiting additional equipment.
Rescue operations have drawn support from firefighters, civil protection personnel, student doctors, nurses, foreign search-and-rescue teams and civilian volunteers from a wide range of professions, alongside members of the military and police.
Rodríguez said the government had no plans to end search-and-rescue operations despite the mounting death toll.
She did not disclose the number of people still missing. An unofficial online registry used by relatives of missing persons had fallen to about 38,500 names on Thursday after peaking at nearly 60,000 in the days immediately following the disaster.
The United Nations has begun procuring 10,000 body bags for Venezuela, while the United States Geological Survey has estimated that the final death toll could exceed 10,000.
Rodríguez also accused unnamed media organisations of attempting to undermine the government's response.
“The first media narrative developed in these media labs was: 'everyone head to La Guaira,' to create chaos and impede search-and-rescue operations,” she said.
She added that the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank had offered financial assistance for reconstruction efforts, with Venezuela establishing a US$200 million reconstruction fund in cooperation with the IMF. The funds, she said, would be channelled to audited contractors responsible for rebuilding damaged homes.
Despite criticism of the official response, humanitarian operations have continued to expand. Volunteers are managing shelters for displaced residents, while international medical teams have established temporary treatment centres across the disaster zone.
A Brazilian Navy field hospital has treated about 180 patients since becoming operational earlier this week, while doctors have converted a former McDonald's restaurant in La Guaira into an emergency medical facility providing treatment, donated medicines and veterinary services.
Search efforts also produced rare moments of hope, with rescue teams from El Salvador, Chile, the United States, Portugal, Mexico, Costa Rica and Venezuela pulling security guard Hernan Alberto Gil alive from the rubble of a collapsed shopping centre more than a week after the earthquakes struck.
“I'm grateful to God for keeping him alive for so many days,” said his wife, Gusbimar Gonzalez.
“He endured it all like a warrior.”
In a separate rescue, Mexican emergency personnel recovered a dog named Sarita alive from beneath a collapsed building before reuniting it with its owner, who said the rescue renewed his hope that his missing daughter might also be found alive.
Meanwhile, Venezuela's Interior Ministry said four crime scene police officers had been detained and dismissed after allegations they stole cash and valuables from damaged buildings, following videos circulated on social media purporting to show security personnel looting property. Reuters said it had not independently verified the footage. - July 3, 2026
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