A significant earthquake has struck Venezuela, further destabilizing the nation during a period of political uncertainty. The tremor occurred less than six months after former leader Nicolás Maduro was taken into US custody. The seismic event has damaged infrastructure and caused widespread concern.
Following the earthquake, interim President Delcy Rodríguez addressed the nation on state television channel VTV. Official information had been limited in the immediate aftermath due to communication outages in some of the most affected areas. This lack of rapid information flow was also attributed to restrictions on independent media under the current government, which has led to the closure of numerous local news outlets that would typically provide crucial on-the-ground updates.
Rodríguez, accompanied by her brother Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, appeared visibly shaken during her speech. She called for national unity, emphasizing the deep divisions within the Venezuelan population that have persisted for over a decade, split between supporters of Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chávez, and their opponents.
Emergency Response and Governance
In response to the disaster, Rodríguez declared a state of emergency and appointed General Juan Ernesto Sulbarán, commander of Venezuela's National Guard, to lead the emergency response efforts. For over twenty-five years, under the leadership of Chávez and Maduro, key government positions have often been filled by high-ranking military officers. Analysts suggest that a lack of specialized expertise among these military leaders has contributed to the deterioration of Venezuela's infrastructure.
Recently, under the observation of the Trump administration, there have been shifts in ministerial appointments. The general overseeing the housing ministry was replaced by a civilian with an architecture degree, and the head of the electricity ministry was succeeded by an electrical engineer. However, years of shortages, worsened by U.S. sanctions, and ongoing mismanagement have led to the deterioration of public housing stock, making structures more susceptible to collapse. A shortage of cement, a consequence of the nationalization and subsequent collapse of the state-owned cement industry under Chávez, has hampered essential repair work on buildings and homes.