CARACAS, Venezuela. — Officials have raised the death toll from Venezuela’s twin earthquakes to more than 1,450 people, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez confirmed, as frustrations mounted over traffic choking the only highway connecting Caracas to the hard-hit state of La Guaira.
Ambulances sat gridlocked on the route after authorities set up access checkpoints — measures meant to control the flow of people into the disaster zone that ended up causing significant delays.
Deborah Cienfuegos, who was searching for her brother and parents beneath the rubble, pleaded with people not to travel to the coast just to take photos and record video.
“Here we are, our family, our people — don’t be indifferent. Don’t come to Vargas state just to film,” she said.
Still, rescuers continued pulling survivors from the wreckage. Colombian teams freed one man — visibly smiling despite hours trapped under debris.
Crews from Fairfax County, Virginia, pulled a crying infant from a collapsed building, calling out their every move to others still buried before cutting through the rubble.
The earthquakes left at least 12,000 people homeless, many now sleeping in public parks, with more than 700 buildings either requiring repairs or slated for demolition.
Journalist Ivanna Laura, who has spoken with many of the displaced, said uncertainty is widespread.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty about what’s going to happen now, for the people who need help and lost everything,” she said.
Amid the devastation, Venezuelans mobilized to deliver food, water and supplies to those who lost everything — offering a lifeline as the hard work of recovery gets underway.
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