“We haven’t slept a wink in our efforts to save lives,” acting President Delcy Rodríguez said on Friday.
Rodríguez also praised the arrival of international assistance and emergency crews, saying, “We have saved dozens of lives.”
More than 100 buildings collapsed in the La Guaira state, the area hardest hit by the double quake that struck Venezuela on Wednesday, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said.
During a broadcast on state-run Venezolana de Televisión (VTV), Cabello said Caraballeda and Catia La Mar were the hardest-hit areas in the state and said 11,500 security personnel would be deployed to La Guaira on Friday to “guarantee peace.”
Venezuelan forces deployed to the area hit by Wednesday’s double earthquake are still searching for people who may be trapped under the rubble.
In an interview granted to Venezuelan public television (VTV), the Sectoral Vice President of Public Works and Services, Juan José Ramírez, stated that operations are being carried out with different machinery, such as percussion equipment that allows for the controlled breaking of concrete, with the hope of finding and rescuing more people alive.
Ramírez appealed to the public to let specialized civil protection teams do their job.
“Many times, volunteers trying to help can actually make things worse,” the official said.
Ramírez emphasized that the priority is “to save lives,” while efforts are also underway to restore basic services such as water and communications.
The US Treasury Department said Thursday it will permit “all transactions” with Venezuela “related to earthquake relief efforts.”
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) authorizes only partial and temporary relief from restrictions from June 26 through October 23.
