The tremor that has shattered Caracas is not merely a geological event. It is a metaphor for the intractable decay of a civilisation that once promised a grand future. The Venezuelan government, in its usual fashion, has declared this the worst moment in modern history.
One must ask: worst moment for whom? For the citizens whose homes have crumbled or for the regime whose legitimacy has been further eroded? The arrival of British aid is a sign of charity, yes, but also of imperial paternalism.
We are reminded of the Victorian era, when British gunboats and missionaries arrived in foreign ports with a similar mix of compassion and condescension. The real question is whether this aid will prologue the slow death of a failed state or prompt a genuine rebirth. History, as always, offers no guarantees.
Only the weary hope that from the rubble, something less brittle might emerge.
