The aftermath of Venezuela’s devastating twin earthquakes — magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, striking within less than a minute on Wednesday — is revealing a humanitarian catastrophe of staggering proportions. Nearly 1,000 people are dead, some 50,000 remain missing, and the country’s already fragile infrastructure has buckled.
The most gut-wrenching scenes are unfolding at the morgue in Caracas, where a pickup truck loaded with bodies in white bags waited outside on Saturday. With hospitals overwhelmed and funeral services virtually nonexistent, it is grieving families themselves who are transporting their dead.
Yessica Mendoza arrived at the morgue in the early hours carrying the body of her 25-year-old daughter, Yesimar Rodríguez, who was buried under rubble along with her 26-year-old husband, Jhomel Anaya, when their building collapsed. Mendoza had to use a private car — there were simply no funeral services available.
La Guaira, the coastal state neighboring Caracas that bore the brunt of the destruction, is no stranger to disaster. As one report noted, the region has suffered a catastrophic natural event for the second time in 27 years, its geography making it perennially vulnerable. Electricity, phone, and internet services remain severed in parts of Caracas and La Guaira, cutting families off from one another.
In a small but meaningful gesture, Costa Rican telecom provider Liberty extended free calling from Costa Rica to Venezuela through June 30, recognizing the desperate need for communication lifelines.
