Westminster is watching Caracas with a mixture of horror and grim recognition. The Venezuelan regime of Nicolas Maduro is facing accusations of criminal negligence this evening. A series of powerful aftershocks have paralysed the capital, Caracas, following a major earthquake. Rescue efforts, insiders say, are being hampered by a corrupt and crumbling state apparatus.
The initial quake struck at dawn. Buildings, already precarious after years of government neglect, collapsed. Now, the aftershocks are preventing any meaningful recovery. The death toll is climbing. It will climb higher.
Whispers from diplomatic sources paint a damning picture. The regime, it is alleged, ignored repeated warnings from seismologists. Funds allocated for disaster preparedness were, sources claim, siphoned off. This was not a natural disaster. This was a man-made catastrophe waiting to happen.
Opposition leaders are calling it criminal negligence. They are demanding international intervention. The Maduro government, predictably, is blaming the United States. They are using the earthquake as cover for a fresh crackdown on dissent. A brutal game, as ever.
For Number 10, this is a diplomatic minefield. The official line will be one of concern, a call for calm. But in the corridors of the Foreign Office, the mood is different. There is a quiet fury. This is a regime that cannot protect its own people. And now, it is pointing fingers at others while the dead lie in the streets.
Polling data? Irrelevant here. This is about raw power. The regime is weakened. The opposition is emboldened. Every hour of delay in rescue efforts strengthens the case for action. The international community is watching, waiting for a lead.
Downing Street will tread carefully. There are oil interests at stake. There is the delicate balance of relations with the US and Europe. But make no mistake: the clock is ticking. The aftershocks will stop. The political fallout will not.
This is a developing story. Expect leaks. Expect denials. Expect bodies. The game, as always, continues.
