Rescue workers in Venezuela are making desperate appeals for silence as they search for survivors amid a series of aftershocks that are fraying the nerves of an already traumatised population. The earthquake, which struck the country's northern coastal region on Tuesday, has left a trail of destruction, with collapsed buildings and ruptured roads. But it is the relentless tremors that are now the focus of fear.
Emergency crews, using their hands and basic tools to dig through rubble, have asked onlookers to keep quiet so they can hear the faint cries of the trapped. "Silence, please, silence," one rescuer shouted, his voice breaking. "Every second counts. We need to hear them."
For the working class in this oil-rich but crisis-stricken nation, the quake is another blow. Already struggling with hyperinflation, power cuts, and shortages of food and medicine, families now face the terror of sleeping outside, fearful of the next tremor. In the coastal city of Cumana, where the epicentre was located, residents spent a second night in the open, clutching children and makeshift blankets.
"We are used to suffering, but this is different," said Maria Gonzalez, a 45-year-old domestic worker whose home was reduced to rubble. "My husband lost his job at the state oil company last year. Now we have nothing. The aftershocks won't stop. I fear for my children."
The official death toll stands at 12, but with many areas still unreachable, that number is expected to rise. Hospitals, already lacking basic supplies, are overwhelmed. Cement ceilings have collapsed in wards, and patients have been moved to courtyards. The government has declared a state of emergency, but aid has been slow to arrive.
Union leaders have criticised the administration of President Nicolas Maduro, accusing it of failing to maintain building safety standards. "For years, we have warned about the poor construction of housing blocks," said Jose Ramirez, a construction workers' union representative. "Corruption and neglect have cost lives. Now the poorest are paying the price."
The earthquake has also exposed the cracks in Venezuela's infrastructure. Roads to remote villages are blocked by landslides. In the mountainous state of Sucre, rescue teams are hiking for hours to reach isolated communities. The power grid, already fragile, has failed in many areas, leaving families in darkness.
The aftershocks have not let up. Seismologists have recorded more than 100 tremors since Tuesday, with magnitudes ranging from 3.0 to 5.5. Each one sends people scrambling into the streets, rekindling panic. "I can't sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I feel the ground move," said Carlos Mendez, a factory worker from Cagua. "My wife is pregnant. We don't know how much more we can take."
International rescue teams from Cuba and Russia have arrived, but their efforts are hampered by fuel shortages and a lack of heavy machinery. The plea for silence is a stark reminder of the human scale of this disaster. In the pause between the rumble and the rubble, hope rests on the ability to hear a voice.
For Sarah Jenkins, Economy and Labour Reporter, this is another chapter in the tragedy of a nation whose ordinary people have been let down by their leaders. The cost of living has always been high here. Now the cost of living has become the cost of surviving.
