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The Venezuelan human rights organization PROVEA reported this Wednesday that the authorities led by Delcy Rodríguez, acting president of Venezuela, are prioritizing military-police control of the territory in La Guaira instead of ensuring essential services for the thousands affected by the earthquakes of June 24.
The NGO made its second visit to the coastal state on Wednesday to support humanitarian assistance efforts in community centers in Catia La Mar and Caraballeda, areas among the hardest hit by the two earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 that struck northern Venezuela with only 39 seconds in between.
"We did not observe any state effort or initiative to provide citizens with essential services such as food or drinking water," stated PROVEA in its report.
In contrast, the organization documented a wide deployment of humanitarian resources by international actors, UN agencies, and civil society volunteers, whom it described as "a key factor in mitigating new risks stemming from the crisis."
One of the most alarming findings was the presence of agents from DGCIM, SEBIN, and CONAS in the disaster area, intelligence agencies without legal authority in risk management or public order control.
"The deployment of numerous agents from the DGCIM, SEBIN, and CONAS could further hinder the management of the crisis and lead to the commission of abuses against Human Rights, considering their actions in similar situations that have occurred in the past," the NGO warned.
PROVEA also observed a lack of coordination among the various security forces deployed, which has resulted in inadequate management of the movement of ambulances and healthcare personnel. In several instances, the rescuers themselves have had to take charge of traffic direction in areas congested with vehicles in order to continue their work.
The government of Rodríguez restricted access to the state of La Guaira starting at 8:00 p.m. on June 26 and deployed over 14,000 military personnel and police in the area under the pretext of "maintaining peace." The measure generated a wave of criticism, encapsulated in the viral outcry of a volunteer: “there are rifles here, not shovels”.
The NGO also recalled a historical precedent that heightens concern: during the landslide of 1999 in what was then Vargas state—the same territory that is now La Guaira—officials from the DISIP, the predecessor of SEBIN, were responsible for the forced disappearances of citizens detained in the context of that disaster.
Rodríguez, who was booed during a tour of the affected area on June 27, became the face of crisis management in the absence of Nicolás Maduro from the country.
The earthquakes of June 24 are the most powerful recorded in Venezuela since 1900. The balance at the close of this Wednesday shows between 1,719 and 1,943 confirmed fatalities, over 10,000 injured, and an estimate from the UN of up to 50,000 missing, with economic damages exceeding 6.7 billion dollars, equivalent to 6% of Venezuela's GDP.
"The excessive securitization and militarization diverges from the role that security agencies should play in this type of crisis, which is to support humanitarian efforts and operate under the coordination of civilian relief organizations, respecting the principles of humanity, impartiality, and neutrality," concluded PROVEA.
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