In response to the devastation caused by the earthquakes on Wednesday in Venezuela, hundreds of citizens spontaneously mobilized towards the state of La Guaira, carrying supplies on motorcycles and private vehicles. This popular response was highlighted on social media by the opposition leader María Corina Machado.
«This is who we are as Venezuelans... Look at this, people transporting supplies on motorcycles and cars heading to Vargas. It's time to serve and organize ourselves. United, more than ever,» wrote Machado on X, accompanying the message with images of motorcyclists traveling along the road towards the coastal area most affected by the earthquakes.
The two earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, shook Venezuela on Wednesday, June 24, at 6:04 PM, with epicenters in the Yaracuy state and only 39 seconds apart from each other.
La Guaira suffered the most severe damage: 250 collapsed buildings, the José María Vargas Hospital destroyed along with seven other healthcare centers, and the Maiquetía International Airport closed due to the damage, which severely complicated the arrival of international aid.
Its geography—bounded by the Caribbean Sea and the Coastal Range, with limited land access primarily via the Caracas-La Guaira highway—made motorcycles the most efficient means to navigate damaged sections and deliver food, water, and medicine to the affected areas.
This Friday, the acting president Delcy Rodríguez confirmed 589 deceased and 2,980 injured, with 157 missing and at least 200 people still trapped under debris.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) issued a Red Alert - its highest level - and estimated with a 42% probability that the final number of casualties could be between 10,000 and 100,000 people.
In Catia La Mar, according to a report by El País, neighbors were clearing rubble with machetes, hammers, and hydraulic jacks in the absence of official machinery, while families were desperately searching for their loved ones among the debris.
Machado also demanded an international response: "Venezuela needs emergency humanitarian aid, with real access to the territory and direct delivery to the affected people."
Foreign aid began to flow in from several countries: El Salvador deployed 300 rescuers and 150 tons of equipment; Mexico sent the "Topos," their specialized rescuers; and Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the immediate dispatch of search and rescue equipment from the United States at the instruction of President Trump.
The U.S. Geological Survey catalogs these earthquakes as the most powerful recorded in Venezuela since 1900, surpassing the seismic magnitude of all previously documented events in the country, including the Vargas Tragedy of 1999.
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