Venezuelans publicly denounce government in wake of devastating twin earthquakes, challenging repression and demanding accountability

As Venezuela transitions from emergency rescue operations to long-term recovery following twin devastating earthquakes, civil unrest has intensified across the disaster-stricken region, with citizens directly confronting state authorities in unprecedented ways. In La Guaira—the northern coastal state most severely affected—residents have publicly rebuked police and National Guard personnel, accusing them of inaction while civilians, including international volunteers, labor to exhume survivors and the deceased from collapsed structures.

In candid interviews, Venezuelans are openly denouncing the ruling party and its leader, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez—now acting president following the U.S.-facilitated removal of Nicolás Maduro—in expressions of dissent previously unimaginable under the country’s repressive regime.

Anger extends beyond national leadership: many citizens now criticize the Trump administration for its support of Rodríguez and its role in advancing U.S.-Venezuela economic deals, even as disaster response has faltered in its most critical first 72 hours—when survival chances are highest.

José Silva, 47, sat近日 on a sidewalk near a flattened public housing complex, once home to roughly 700 families. Exhausted after ten days of manual excavation, he recounted how emergency responders prioritized their own needs and delivered substandard tools, declaring, “Why would I be afraid to speak out—if I was born to die?”

Rodríguez’s legitimacy, initially bolstered by Washington as a stabilizing figure after Maduro’s capture, now faces mounting skepticism amid public fury and logistical failures. U.S. envoy John Barrett has expressed confidence in her administration, yet Congressional Republicans—including Rep. Carlos Giménez of Florida—have escalated criticism, labeling her an “interim dictator” and demanding political change.

Outside the U.S. embassy, protesters have demanded greater U.S. intervention, confronting Barrett over his meetings with officials once targeted by sanctions, while victims languished nearby. “Why hasn’t he met with Venezuelan civil society—the honest ones?” one man shouted into cameras.

Rodríguez has defended the government’s response, claiming that over 19,000 state workers have been deployed and asserting that media reports of chaos constitute a coordinated “media laboratory” fabrication. Official channels highlight select rescues, including one involving Chilean specialists pulling a survivor after seven days, and Rodríguez’s subsequent hospital visit.

Yet on the ground in La Guaira, the reality starkly contrasts. Volunteers—lacking proper gear, food, and heavy machinery—scour debris with shovels, pickaxes, and bare hands, searching for missing neighbors and family. Many wear no masks against dust and the stench of decomposition. A photo of Rodríguez in a luxury Moncler ski jacket during a relief visit sparked widespread outrage.

“It’s a lie that the government is helping,” Silva reiterated.

Nearby, a group uncovered five bodies in a trench they’d dug. Survivors gathered, lifting sheets to identify loved ones: among them, a child’s body, and others unrecognizable.

Kimberling León, 39, searched for her two school-aged sons, missing since their apartment complex collapsed. She described how police merely filmed the immediate aftermath without assisting. “We pleaded: ‘Help us!’ But they left. We began digging with our hands—until smoke and explosions from ruptured gas lines forced us back.” A shovel and pickax arrived only on the second or third day; heavy equipment, she said, rerouted exclusively toward private developments where victims could pay for aid.

Amid rescue operations, enforced silence is enforced—drivers idle engines, pedestrians halt—to preserve the faintest chance of hearing tapping or cries below. When emergency vehicles with sirens cut through these silent zones, enraged residents slammed fists on the cars.

Although the disaster has unlocked years of suppressed anger, experts warn of impending backlash. The government’s authoritarian apparatus remains intact: last year’s protests ended in military crackdowns, killings, and mass arrests. Just days after the quakes, volunteer rescuer Wilmer Cruz, known for criticizing the response, was detained, prompting outrage and his eventual release. Oscar Murillo of human rights group Provea noted the episode confirmed Venezuela’s enduring authoritarian model.

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