Residents of the Vallarta residences in Playa Grande, La Guaira state, confronted an inspector from the CICPC on Tuesday, who was allegedly stealing cash in dollars from the apartments that collapsed due to the earthquake.
To prevent the theft, women and men forcefully snatched the bag from the agent and, outraged, made an extreme decision: to tear the bills apart with their own hands.
The official, identified on his ID as «Inspector Ragnar», was caught on video amidst the rubble holding a bag containing what appeared to be $100 US dollar bills.
According to complaints from neighbors, the amount allegedly stolen would total around $10,000 dollars found among the rubble of the collapsed buildings.
The images, shared on social media, show the inspector in a black tactical uniform, helmet, goggles, and gloves, with the badge of the Cuerpo de Investigaciones Científicas, Penales y Criminalísticas (CICPC) visible on the chest.
The background of the photographs reveals the environment of total destruction that characterizes Playa Grande after the earthquakes.
Women from the community tore up the bills found among the rubble, due to the impossibility of recovering them in any other way, in a gesture that reflects a profound distrust towards the security forces of Nicolás Maduro's regime.
The incident is not an isolated case. On that same Tuesday, six officials from the CICPC were arrested at the San José de Barlovento Subdelegation in Río Chico, Páez municipality, Miranda state, accused of stealing materials from homes affected by the earthquake. On June 28, police oversight agencies had already arrested five civilians for theft in evacuated homes in La Guaira.
The CICPC is the main criminal investigative body in Venezuela, and its presence in disaster zones is justified to secure crime scenes, identify victims, and protect property. The allegations that its own inspectors are accused of looting victims exacerbate the institutional crisis of the regime at the worst possible time for the affected population.
The context is one of unprecedented devastation. The double earthquake of June 24, 2026, with tremors of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 occurring just 39 seconds apart, destroyed more than 250 buildings in La Guaira, including the José María Vargas Hospital and the Maiquetía International Airport. The death toll from the earthquakes has risen to 1,943, with 10,571 injured according to official figures, while the UN estimates up to 50,000 missing across the country.
The looting began in the first few days. By June 25, there were already reports of thefts in damaged businesses in La Guaira and Catia La Mar by civilians. What occurred this Tuesday at the Vallarta residences represents a serious escalation: it is the state agents themselves who are taking advantage of their privileged access to disaster areas to steal the money that the victims had kept in their homes.
The United Nations Development Programme estimates the direct damage from the earthquake at 6.7 billion dollars, while satellite data from NASA calculates that nearly 59,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed throughout the affected region.
The reaction of the women of Playa Grande, destroying the money rather than allowing a corrupt official to take it, became a symbol on Tuesday of the outrage of a community that has lost everything and cannot trust those who should be protecting them.
Filed under: