The president of the National Assembly of Venezuela, Jorge Rodríguez, raised the official death toll to 1,943 and the number of injured to 10,571 due to the double earthquake that struck the country on June 24, as he reported during a nationally broadcast address.
Rodríguez explained that the new assessment is the result of an analysis that combined drone overflights, census data, hospital records, and testimonies from family members and rescuers.
"After conducting an analysis using drones, aerial surveys, reviewing the existing census, and examining the surveys completed by the individuals we have attended to in the hospitals, as well as the testimonies of family members and rescuers, we estimated that approximately 30,000 people were in the areas of Caraballeda and Catia La Mar at the time of the two earthquakes," he stated.
Based on that estimate, the official stated that 6,461 people were rescued by official teams, international brigades, and volunteers, while another 13,400 were able to escape on their own or with the help of family, for a total of 19,861 identified survivors.
According to those data, there is still a significant number of people whose whereabouts have not been determined, a difference that continues to fuel uncertainty about the true extent of the tragedy.
Rodríguez also reported that there are 15,866 people affected. He detailed that 14 shelters remain open in La Guaira state and another 55 in Caracas, Miranda, and other affected areas, where both hospitalized individuals and displaced persons are receiving assistance, totaling 28,380 people supported.
The official added that, since June 24, 689 aftershocks of the earthquakes have been recorded, although he assured that their intensity has gradually decreased.
The new tally represents an increase compared to the official figures released just a day earlier, when the government reported 1,719 deceased and 5,034 injured.
Official figures remain significantly lower than estimates from international organizations. The United Nations has indicated that there could be as many as 50,000 missing persons, while the citizen platform Encuéntralos recorded between 55,000 and 60,000 people unaccounted for. Meanwhile, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) maintains an estimate suggesting there is a 42% probability that the final death toll will fall between 10,000 and 100,000.
Since the day after the earthquakes, the official toll has steadily increased: 164 deceased on June 25; 920 on the 26th; 1,430 on the 27th; 1,450 on the 28th; 1,719 on the 29th; and 1,943 this Tuesday.
Among the affected individuals are at least 32 Cubans who remain missing in the state of La Guaira, primarily in the towns of Caraballeda, Catia La Mar, and Los Corales. Authorities also confirmed the death of a Cuban family of six, whose bodies were recovered on June 28. Additionally, the girl Vanessa Martínez passed away, while her brother Dayan Martínez is still missing.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) estimates that the direct damage caused by the earthquakes amounts to around 6.7 billion dollars, which is equivalent to 6% of Venezuela's gross domestic product, although the total economic impact could range between 10.05 and 20.1 billion dollars.
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