A second tremor in as many days has ripped through Venezuela's coastal states, buckling roads and collapsing makeshift shelters. Emergency services are overwhelmed, leaving thousands without food, water, or medical care. The death toll is unknown, but local sources confirm whole neighbourhoods have been wiped out near Cumaná. Meanwhile, a UK aid convoy is finally being assembled in Caracas, though questions linger about who will distribute the supplies once they arrive.
The first quake, a 6.2 magnitude event, struck on Tuesday. The aftershock, measured at 5.8, hit at dawn today. I have spoken to aid workers on the ground who describe scenes of chaos. One doctor told me, 'We are out of antibiotics and clean bandages. People are dying from infected wounds.' The government has declared a state of emergency in three states but has not requested international assistance beyond the UK offer.
Documents obtained by this newspaper show that the UK's Department for International Development approved a £2 million aid package yesterday. The convoy will include water purification units, surgical kits, and field hospitals. But the logistics are a nightmare. The main highway between Caracas and the affected zone is cracked and impassable in sections. A senior diplomat told me, 'We are looking at airlifts, but the airports near the epicentre are damaged.'
The truth is, the Maduro regime has a history of diverting aid. During the 2018 floods, supplies vanished into military warehouses. I have tracked shipments from that period that never reached civilians. This time, the UK has insisted on independent monitoring. But the regime is dragging its feet. A source close to the negotiations said, 'They want control of the distribution. We want the Red Cross to manage it. We are stuck.'
Geologists warn that more tremors are likely. The region sits on a fault line that has been dormant for decades. Now it is waking up. The people living in tent cities have nowhere to go. They are abandoned by a government that spends billions on security forces and propaganda but cannot provide for its own people.
I will stay on this story. The convoy is scheduled to depart at 0600 GMT tomorrow. I will be there. And I will follow the supplies to see where they truly end up. That is my job. Because someone has to hold the powerful to account when the ground shakes and the world looks away.
