Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez defends quake response and warns unrest will not take hold

Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez defended the government’s emergency response to the June 24 twin earthquakes during a military ceremony marking Independence Day, saying authorities would not allow social unrest to emerge despite public anger over how quickly search-and-rescue efforts arrived in the hardest-hit areas. Her remarks came as official figures continued to rise and international teams began to wind down operations after 11 days, leaving families to continue searching for missing relatives amid widespread damage.

Rodríguez told attendees that “There will be no social unrest here,” arguing that the country’s response was grounded in “deep social solidarity.” According to the reporting, she said the government had mobilized public officials and rescue teams and activated efforts without delay, in response to allegations from critics that the state reacted too slowly and provided inadequate support for communities trapped under collapsed buildings.

The government’s own updated figures described the scale of the disaster and underscored the political and public-safety pressure facing the interim administration. Venezuela’s information ministry said Sunday night that the number of people killed had risen to 3,342, and that injuries had passed 16,700. The earthquakes collapsed scores of structures and left thousands homeless, particularly in the coastal La Guaira area north of Caracas, according to the report.

The Guardian account described how anger among some residents has focused on the period between the initial shocks and the arrival of international rescue teams. Families in La Guaira and surrounding areas have described searching for survivors with limited equipment and, in some cases, struggling with access to basic post-disaster services, including for confirming and handling remains when hospitals faced capacity constraints.

NBC 6 South Florida similarly described Rodríguez as lashing out at criticism that the death toll is far higher than the government’s acknowledged numbers and rejected suggestions that poorly constructed housing worsened the impact. NBC cited reporting that as of Wednesday authorities had counted at least 2,295 deaths, adding that the figure was expected to increase. The different figures in the two reports reflect the continued updating of the official tally over multiple days.

The reports also pointed to growing frustration over the practical realities of recovery. The Guardian described a case in which a family’s relative was reportedly turned away from a local hospital due to lack of space, with his body later transferred to another facility and eventually moved again to an open parking lot, before a forensic doctor helped the family locate him days later and arrange identification and next steps.

Rodríguez’s comments set the tone for how the interim authorities intend to address public anger and manage expectations during the recovery phase, especially as officials continue to update casualty numbers. With international rescue operations winding down, the immediate operational focus shifts to local search efforts, identification processes, casualty management, and coordination of shelter and services, while the interim administration faces increasing scrutiny over the effectiveness and timing of its initial emergency measures.

Outside observers will likely watch whether Venezuela can maintain the pace of recovery and communications as the death toll rises, particularly in areas where residents say they were left without adequate specialized equipment in the early hours and days after the quakes. The government’s insistence on preventing disorder, paired with the continued expansion of casualty counts, suggests a widening gap between official messaging and the experience of families in the field, even as authorities continue to deploy domestic responders.