A 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck the coast of Venezuela on Tuesday, killing at least 12 people and leaving hundreds of thousands without shelter, food or clean water. Relief efforts have been hampered by the government’s failure to maintain basic infrastructure or prepare for natural disasters, a crisis that has deepened the country’s humanitarian disaster.
The epicentre was located near the city of Maracay, a stronghold of President Nicolás Maduro’s socialist party. Witnesses described buildings collapsing into heaps of rubble and residents fleeing into the streets as aftershocks continued into the evening. Hospitals, already struggling with shortages of medicine and electricity, were overwhelmed with the injured.
The government has declared a state of emergency but has yet to release a complete account of casualties or damage. Critics accuse the administration of diverting funds meant for disaster preparedness into military purchases and foreign allies. The earthquake is the latest blow to a nation suffering hyperinflation, food shortages, and a collapsing health system.
International aid organisations have offered assistance, but Maduro’s government has been slow to accept, citing sovereignty concerns. The United Nations has called for unimpeded access for humanitarian workers. “This is a man-made catastrophe on top of a natural one,” said a opposition leader.
“The regime’s corruption has left us defenceless.
