The death toll from the double earthquake that struck Venezuela on June 24 has surpassed the 5,000 mark this Friday, according to the official report from the Venezuelan government, which confirmed 5,069 fatalities after counting an additional 139 deaths in the last 24 hours.
The figure was disclosed by Jorge Rodríguez, president of the Venezuelan National Assembly, on social media. The report also indicates that the number of injured remains at 16,740 and that 17,907 people are still without housing.
More than 21,000 displaced people are housed in 107 temporary camps, while authorities have assisted 128,324 families affected by the two earthquakes—measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude—that occurred just 39 seconds apart.
Since the day of the disaster, 1,331 aftershocks have been recorded. The most significant occurred on July 10, when a magnitude 3.9 earthquake shook the northeast of Naiguatá in La Guaira state, causing panic and preventive evacuations in buildings in the area.
La Guaira was the most devastated region by the double earthquake on June 24: over 250 buildings collapsed, including the José María Vargas Hospital, and 158 of the 189 buildings in Catia La Mar were destroyed. In total, 190 properties completely fell, while another 856 were damaged, and 38 hospitals and 433 schools were affected.
The United Nations Development Programme estimates the material damages at 6.7 trillion dollars, equivalent to 6% of Venezuela's gross domestic product. The earthquakes also generated over two million tons of debris, the removal of which poses the primary obstacle to reconstruction.
The international response has been significant: 24 countries have contributed over 780 million dollars in aid, with the United States being the largest donor at 386 million. The UN mobilized over 2,200 rescuers from 25 countries, 521 tons of supplies, and three field hospitals in La Guaira.
However, the emergency management led by the interim president Delcy Rodríguez has faced severe criticism. According to a report gathered by Infobae, the government response was described as "late, opaque, and insufficient" by organizations such as the NGO Provea. The UN also estimates that up to 50,000 people may be missing, a figure that the government has not officially acknowledged.
In the legislative arena, the Venezuelan Parliament approved a reform of the Law against Real Estate Fraud in first debate last Tuesday to expedite the construction of new housing.
The first vice president of the National Assembly, Pedro Infante, explained that the amendment aims to ensure legal security and financing capacity for the private sector to begin an "aggressive" construction process.
The government estimates that approximately 25,000 housing units are needed.
The daily increase in the official death toll reflects the magnitude of the tragedy: from 920 confirmed deaths two days after the earthquake, the count rose to 3,342 on July 5 and to 4,930 the day before, before surpassing the threshold of 5,000 this Friday. The double earthquake on June 24 has already become the deadliest natural disaster in Venezuela in over a century.
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