The earthquake poses a major test for Venezuela’s new government

(AP Photo/Ariana Cobios)

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Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela in late June, with the death toll at more than 3,500 so far, as thousands of survivors find themselves suddenly displaced, and with the cost of damage running into the billions. As recovery efforts continue, it is clear that the response to the earthquakes has led to Venezuelans becoming ostensibly dissatisfied with their government. The international community has mobilized delegations of first responders to assist in recovery efforts, highlighting how emergency aid can serve as a key tool of soft power. The natural disaster has highlighted Venezuela’s deep political and economic vulnerabilities, in light of the January 2026 US regime change operation that ousted former President Nicolas Maduro.

Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela in late June, with the death toll reaching more than 3,500 so far, while thousands of survivors suddenly found themselves displaced. Even amid the rescue efforts, the government has estimated that as many as 50,000 Venezuelans may be missing, many of them trapped under the rubble. The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes caused an estimated $6.7 billion in material damage, according to the United Nations Development Programme, not including damage to infrastructure, broader economic disruptions, and reconstruction costs. In addition, rescuers fear they are running out of time to save more survivors who may remain, as the country’s emergency response mechanisms and public health sector have been neglected for decades. The two natural disasters also exacerbated the country’s economic crisis, crippling the country’s already existing shortages of medicine, food and basic services, which, according to the United Nations, has forced one of its largest displacement crises, with nearly 8 million Venezuelans fleeing the country in the past decade alone.

As recovery efforts continue, it is clear that the response to the earthquakes has led to the Venezuelan people’s apparent dissatisfaction with their government. The government’s response to the earthquakes, led by Acting President Delcy Rodriguez – who took power after the capture of President Nicolas Maduro by US forces in January – has been slow and, in some areas, has even hampered rescue efforts by demanding bribes to access areas and blocking the entry of international rescue teams. According to Foreign Policy, heavy machinery needed to transport concrete never reached certain areas, and firefighters lacked tools and fuel for rescue efforts. In addition, the government provided little guidance to residents regarding rescue missions, did not open facilities to collect donated goods, and did not have a state-run missing persons system. This has pushed NGOs and civil society actors to bear the brunt of the response.

The earthquakes also sparked public debate about the extent of government services and oversight before the tragedy. This was particularly the case with regard to the case of public housing complexes built by the Venezuelan government during the era of Hugo Chavez that sparked early criticism from residents, seismologists and watchdog groups over their safety in the face of a natural disaster. The New York Times interviewed several Venezuelans affected by the earthquakes, with one Venezuelan saying: “These people were not killed by the disaster. They were killed by the government because they built these buildings like garbage.”

Following the earthquake, both countries quickly deployed delegations of emergency responders to help Venezuela rescue and identify people under the rubble. More than 27 countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Spain, France, Germany, Syria, Qatar and others, have sent search and rescue teams, along with specialists and medical equipment, with their foreign ministries announcing their presence in Venezuela to assist with search and rescue operations and clean-up efforts. U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) has also mobilized Marine Corps and numerous Navy assets to Venezuela to help the country regain ports of entry, assist with rescue operations, and deliver critical disaster relief supplies. Collectively, these efforts highlight the role that emergency response plays in soft power efforts, especially in an increasingly fragile Venezuela that is experiencing a weak transition period following Maduro’s arrest.

In addition to several delegations from foreign emergency response teams, Venezuela has also received infusions of international financial aid. The United States contributed $310 million, in addition to other pledges of $2.28 million from the Netherlands, $2.5 million from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and $114,000 from the Vatican. The imposition of several sanctions packages against the Venezuelan government has hampered efforts to send direct financial support to the transitional government, greatly limiting the ability of countries to deploy material assistance and rescue teams. Notably – and even in light of major restrictions on aid agencies – the United States has pledged the largest aid package to Venezuela, given its guarantor role in Venezuela since Maduro’s ouster in January, and has sought to shape the response process, putting pressure on the new transitional government to quickly activate rescue and recovery operations.

However, the approach taken by foreign governments in the wake of the earthquakes has been widely criticized. Many agencies within the Venezuelan government’s security landscape – designed to protect the Chavez and Maduro regimes, not the people – were hampered in their response to the disaster. Before international delegations of first responders arrived in Venezuela, most of the immediate fallout from earthquakes involved civil defense workers working without proper equipment and civilian volunteers organizing their own search and rescue operations, digging under the rubble themselves. Both civilians and humanitarian relief organizations have expressed concerns that the response was not fast enough, leading to more casualties due to delayed rescue operations and the cessation of services.

The imposition of sanctions on the Venezuelan government has also hindered the distribution of direct aid. Several countries have pledged financial aid to aid Venezuela’s recovery process through indirect channels, avoiding donating directly to the interim Venezuelan government, and instead channeling funds through relief organizations working on the ground to deploy supplies and services. Moreover, the reduction in support for foreign aid agencies and programmes, especially from the current Trump administration in the United States, has also limited the scope of the international response.

The two earthquakes dealt another blow to Venezuela’s already weak interim government, raising questions about whether Venezuelan governance is truly on the brink. Expert Phil Johnson of the International Crisis Group put it quite clearly: The natural disaster has put Venezuela in a position where it is currently witnessing a “sustained collapse of society.” The country, already suffering from a severe economic crisis and shortages of vital supplies, is now exposed to further damage, weakening what remains of citizens’ confidence in the interim government. In the coming months, the country will need more supplies of basic needs such as medicine, food, water and fuel, as well as a massive effort to rehouse and shelter thousands of victims displaced by the disaster. Moreover, Venezuela’s de facto guarantor, the United States, will carefully monitor the government’s next moves, especially in light of Washington’s role in installing Delce’s transitional government after Maduro’s arrest. The United States has shown a high tolerance for risk in its approach to Venezuela, using military force to unilaterally remove a head of state and install a replacement, and it does not want its efforts to be seen as a diplomatic blunder.

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