Venezuela is trying to heal the wounds of two earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 that struck on June 24. Andreina Velasquez, who lived on the sixth floor of an apartment building in the coastal town of Catia la Mar in La Guaira state north of the capital Caracas, survived because she was not at home during the quakes.
Velasquez said she had gone out to get a key made a few hours before the earthquake and felt the first tremor on the beach. The concrete floors of her apartment building had collapsed like a house of cards. Describing one neighbor as a retired quiet man and another as a woman who had just moved in with her daughter, Velasquez said they were happy with their sea views but were caught in the earthquake.
According to data from the Venezuelan National Assembly, at least 2,295 people died and over 11,000 were injured in the double earthquake. The United Nations (UN) has warned that the death toll could reach 10,000. While hospitals in the region are operating well beyond capacity, federal government aid has been slow to reach the worst-affected areas.
In Catia la Mar, federal rescue teams were only able to arrive three days after the earthquake, on Sunday, while some areas of La Guaira have still not received aid.
'The state was not the first responder, but the last'
Carolina Jimenez, president of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), noted the absence of the state during the crisis. "In another country, the state would be the first responder. In Venezuela, the state was the last responder," she said in an assessment to Al Jazeera.
Jimenez emphasized that aid and rescue efforts were largely carried out by citizens, civil society organizations and volunteers.
Masks and courage: Volunteers on the ground
Struggling with the pain of losing her loved ones, Velasquez began to help by distributing masks to passersby against the dust and smell rising from the rubble. "I am here every day. Some people came to help but they don't have helmets, gloves, masks. So I help," she said.
Despite insufficient equipment, local residents continue debris removal and first aid efforts. While authorities say anger is growing due to the slow functioning of the state mechanism, the efforts of volunteers remain the only hope for survivors.
