María Corina Machado toured the Caracas parish of San Bernardino this Sunday, one of the areas hardest hit in the capital by the double earthquake of June 24, 2026, which left at least 6,509 dead and tens of thousands of homes damaged across the country.
The opposition leader walked through the streets of the neighborhood, where severely cracked buildings and deteriorated facades are still visible, and heard firsthand accounts from families who lost loved ones and belongings due to the earthquakes. The visit was shared by her party, Vente Venezuela, on social media platform X.
The double earthquake – two tremors of 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude separated by only 39 seconds – was the greatest natural disaster in Venezuela's recent history. The coastal state of La Guaira accounted for 158 of the 190 buildings that completely collapsed in the country, and the World Bank estimated the direct physical damages at 19.6 billion dollars, equivalent to 18% of Venezuela's gross domestic product.
In San Bernardino, the collapse of the Rita building left seven dead, and a broken pipe hindered rescue efforts in the days following the earthquakes. The official tally also records 16,740 injured, 14,239 homes with moderate damage, and 11,001 with severe damage.
This Sunday’s visit is part of an intense agenda that Machado has carried out since her public return to Venezuela on October 25, after months operating in secrecy within the framework of negotiations backed by Washington with the Venezuelan government.
By the end of October, the leader had already traveled through La Guaira—the area most devastated by the earthquakes—visiting Playa Grande, Catia La Mar, and Caraballeda, where she met with affected individuals at various points in the region.
On Friday, Machado led another high-impact event by appearing outside the El Rodeo I prison in the state of Miranda, which has been identified by various non-governmental organizations as a torture center. With a megaphone in hand, she promised political prisoners that they would not be left alone and read the names of approximately 400 detainees whose cases add up to 1,756 years in prison.
From the heights of a mountainous area where relatives often shout to communicate with their incarcerated loved ones, Machado delivered a message that the prisoners responded to with cries of "Justice" and "Freedom."
"I am here with you; you are not alone. Freedom for all political prisoners. Justice for the victims. Reparation for their families. Remembering, so it never happens again," declared the opposition leader in front of the prison.
Machado has also held meetings with leaders from the Democratic Unit Platform and the Alliance for Venezuela, the coalition that brings together small social and political organizations, thus consolidating an agenda that combines solidarity with the victims of the earthquake and pressure for the release of political prisoners.
According to the Foro Penal, at the time of the visit to El Rodeo I, there were more than 300 political prisoners in Venezuela, 68 of whom were held in that prison, in front of which the "Campamento de la Dignidad" has been operating since January 8, 2026, a continuous vigil by families that reached 300 days of uninterrupted presence last Tuesday.
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