Venezuela is shattered. Two massive earthquakes hit back-to-back, leaving at least 164 people dead and another 971 injured. Those are just the early, sanitized numbers. The real butcher’s bill is going to be much, much worse.
It started with a 7.2 magnitude tremor about 100 miles west of Caracas. Less than sixty seconds later, a 7.5 monster followed. The earth literally ripped itself open. The U.S. Geological Survey isn’t sugarcoating it, warning that the final death toll will likely climb into the thousands, with a very real chance of topping 10,000.
Then there is La Guaira. The state was completely bypassed in the initial casualty counts. Interim President Delcy Rodriguez has already labeled it a “disaster zone,” which is political shorthand for total devastation. It is the hardest-hit area, and nobody knows how many bodies are buried under the concrete there. This is the worst seismic event to hit the country in over a century. The shockwaves rattled the entire region.
Rodriguez took to state television to plead for unity. “This is a true tragedy,” she said, offering the usual thoughts and prayers while promising that rescue crews are working to save whoever they can. It’s a race against time. They are digging with their bare hands.
Naturally, the geopolitical theater didn’t take a break. Donald Trump jumped onto Truth Social to announce that the U.S. is ready to roll, claiming he ordered government agencies to move fast to help “our new and great friends.” We’ll see if the aid actually makes it through the rubble.
