Venezuela marked its 215th Independence Day on Sunday while thousands of families continued to grieve from a pair of earthquakes that struck the country's northern coastline on June 24. The government announced that same day that the confirmed death toll had risen to 3,342, with thousands more still missing.
The twin earthquakes hit with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, according to Al Jazeera. They leveled buildings along the coast, damaging La Guaira and the greater Caracas metropolitan area. More than 16,470 people were injured, and 17,345 were left without homes. The June 24 earthquakes are the deadliest in Venezuela in more than a century, and the most catastrophic natural disaster the country has experienced since flash floods in 1999.
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez, speaking at a military ceremony honoring the holiday, sought to project confidence. "There will be no social unrest here," she said. "What we have here is deep social solidarity." She also warned against outside interference. "Attempts are being made today to attack Venezuelan institutions," Rodriguez said. "There can be no room for any kind of conspiracy, internal or external, from whatever source it may come."
Rodriguez's government has faced sharp criticism since the quakes. Residents reported that government aid was slow to reach the hardest-hit areas, and some accused officials of blocking foreign assistance. Critics have pointed to what they describe as years of mismanagement and corruption by the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, which has governed since 2007, as having left the country unable to respond to a disaster of this scale.
On the ground in La Guaira, the destruction was immediate and personal for thousands of families. Jose Garcia, a 46-year-old car mechanic, was home with his wife and two younger sons on the evening of June 24. They lived on the second floor of the Ritasol Palace, an eleven-story building in the seaside suburb of Caraballeda. At roughly 6:04 p.m., the first earthquake struck. Then came the second. The entire building collapsed.
Garcia found himself buried in what had been the basement, trapped alongside his sons Diego, 7, and Santiago, 12. "The worst thing that can happen to anyone is to be stuck like that," he said. His oldest son, 26-year-old Jesus Garcia, had previously worked as a local firefighter. A former colleague had kept his helmet and jacket for him. He put them on and ran to the ruins.
When Jesus arrived at the site, a firefighter friend told him his father was alive beneath the rubble. At first he did not believe it. Then he heard his father's voice. "Don't leave me here," Jose called out. "I said, 'Trust me: Stay calm. Keep the kids calm over there. I'm not leaving here without you,'" Jesus recalled. The family survived, though the debris could still have shifted at any moment.
Bodies remain buried across affected areas. The death toll is expected to continue rising as search efforts continue.
