OPEN LETTER: In Caracas, a toll of 2,595 dead the world must not forget

Introduction: a letter so we don't look away

Why I'm writing this open letter

Madam Rodríguez, I watched your press conference and read, like thousands of journalists around the world, the chilling figure you confirmed this week: 2,595 dead and more than 12,400 wounded following the two earthquakes that struck Venezuela at the end of June, according to data you yourself provided to international media and reported by Anadolu Agency.

I am writing you this open letter not as a diplomat, nor as a representative of a government, but as a columnist who believes certain numbers deserve to be addressed directly, without filter, to those who carry the responsibility for rebuilding a wounded country.

What I know, what I don't know

I know what your own authorities have publicly confirmed: a toll that keeps climbing, search operations that continue even as hope fades, and a reconstruction fund of 200 million dollars announced through resources available from the International Monetary Fund, according to Xinhua.

What I don't know, however, is whether this fund will be enough, or whether your government's initial response, criticized by several humanitarian organizations as slow and disorganized according to DW, will be corrected in time to avoid further avoidable losses in the weeks ahead.

The human toll, number by number

A tragedy of two earthquakes

The two earthquakes, measured at magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 respectively, rank among the most powerful to hit Venezuela in more than a century, according to Al Jazeera, a geological fact that partly explains the unprecedented scale of destruction observed in several regions of the country.

The initial toll of 589 deaths reported a few days after the disaster has since more than quadrupled, reaching the 2,595 confirmed deaths you announced this week, a progression that illustrates both the scale of the disaster and the extreme difficulty of search operations in the rubble.

La Guaira, epicenter of the pain

The coastal state of La Guaira, north of Caracas, bears a disproportionate share of the damage, with more than 100 collapsed buildings and roughly 70,000 families directly affected, according to figures cited by Al Jazeera and attributed to Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello.

The country's main international airport, located in that same region, remains closed due to structural damage, a closure that further complicates the delivery of international aid to the areas hardest hit by the disaster.

Your public defense of the government's response

Words chosen with firmness

Madam Rodríguez, you described the criticism directed at your government as "narratives manufactured in propaganda laboratories," according to remarks you made before foreign journalists and reported by DW, adding that "politicizing a humanitarian tragedy" of this scale was, in your words, a "dishonorable" act.

You also stated: "We did not wait one day, two days or three days. We activated immediately," a firm declaration that contrasts with the criticism voiced by several international humanitarian organizations in the days following the disaster.

The testimony of first responders

You pointed out that at the collapse sites, "the first people to arrive were the survivors of the collapse themselves, along with relatives and neighbors," an observation that highlights Venezuelan community resilience in the face of the initial absence of organized relief, a reality I readily acknowledge in this letter.

This popular resilience, however admirable, cannot replace a structured and rapid state response, a point on which I respectfully feel compelled to address you directly in this letter.

The International Rescue Committee and its criticism

A response deemed insufficient

The International Rescue Committee stated earlier this week that the scale of the humanitarian response did not meet the real needs of the affected population, according to DW, an assessment that directly contradicts your own presentation of the efforts undertaken by your government.

This divergence between your official account and the assessment of independent humanitarian organizations raises a legitimate question: which side, your government or these organizations, has a more accurate picture of the reality on the ground, a week after the disaster?

A health risk compounding the grief

Doctors have warned that the current situation could lead to an outbreak of infectious diseases, worsening an already severe medical crisis, according to DW, as thousands of disaster victims continue sleeping in overcrowded shelters or outdoors, without stable access to clean water or basic care.

This secondary health risk, often underestimated in media coverage of natural disasters, could turn a seismic tragedy into a prolonged public health crisis if adequate measures are not quickly implemented.

The 200-million-dollar reconstruction fund

A figure announced, but fragile

You announced the creation of an initial fund of 200 million dollars, financed through resources available from the International Monetary Fund, intended to rebuild infrastructure, hospitals and housing for disaster victims, according to Xinhua, an initiative I applaud without reservation in principle.

This fund, however, remains described as "initial" in your own words, which leaves open the crucial question of the additional financing needed to cover the true scale of the damage suffered by a country already weakened by years of economic crisis.

The IMF and the World Bank, cautious partners

The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have agreed to provide financial assistance for recovery efforts, according to DW, a significant commitment given the historically strained relations between these institutions and the current Venezuelan government.

This unusual collaboration between Caracas and international financial institutions could, if it fully materializes, set an interesting precedent for how Venezuela manages its future economic relations with the global financial community.

American aid, a gesture worth highlighting

More than 300 million dollars committed

The United States has committed more than 300 million dollars and deployed roughly 900 troops to support rescue and humanitarian relief operations, according to DW, a substantial commitment despite the persistent political tensions between Washington and Caracas.

You yourself expressed gratitude toward President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for their support, stating that they "have remained consistently attentive and offered their support," a notable statement coming from a government usually critical of Washington.

A humanitarian gesture beyond political divides

This American gesture, however diplomatically calculated, deserves recognition as an example of how humanitarian aid can transcend, at least temporarily, decades of geopolitical rivalry between two governments with diametrically opposed ideologies.

The Trump administration, despite the legitimate criticism it draws on many other international files, demonstrates here an ability to act pragmatically when human lives are directly at stake, an observation I make without excessive indulgence.

Continental solidarity, an encouraging reflex

Neighbors mobilized quickly

Countries such as Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, El Salvador and Cuba sent search-and-rescue teams as well as humanitarian aid in the days following the disaster, according to Al Jazeera, illustrating a regional reflex of solidarity in the face of the disaster's scale.

This rapid continental mobilization, regardless of the diverging ideological alignments between these countries and the Venezuelan government, demonstrates that certain humanitarian emergencies can still unite nations otherwise separated by deep political disagreements.

The United Nations on the front line

The United Nations' humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, stated: "To the Venezuelan people, to those whose loved ones are under the rubble, know that we are determined to get aid to you," according to Al Jazeera, an institutional commitment that complements the bilateral efforts deployed by various countries.

This UN presence, though often criticized for bureaucratic slowness in other crisis contexts, provides essential international coordination in the face of a disaster whose scale far exceeds the capacities of a single country, even with the help of its immediate neighbors.

An economy already weakened before the disaster

Years of crisis that make everything worse

Venezuela was already going through an extremely difficult economic situation before these earthquakes, marked by frequent power outages and public infrastructure weakened by years of prolonged crisis, according to Al Jazeera, a context that considerably complicates any rapid response to a disaster of this scale.

This pre-existing economic fragility means that post-quake reconstruction cannot simply aim to restore the previous state, but will have to contend with infrastructure that was already deficient long before the ground shook twice at the end of June.

The weight of international sanctions

The international economic sanctions imposed on the Venezuelan government for several years continue to weigh on its ability to quickly mobilize outside financial resources, a structural factor that makes the unusual collaboration with the IMF announced this week all the more significant.

This complex economic reality leads me to hope, in this open letter, that the international community will know how to distinguish between the legitimate criticism directed at your government on other matters and the absolute humanitarian emergency currently facing the Venezuelan civilian population.

Searches continue, hope fades

A week later, despair sets in

A week after the initial earthquakes, search-and-rescue operations continue, but hope of finding more survivors is fading considerably, according to DW, a reality that is gradually shifting the nature of operations on the ground, from searching for survivors to recovering bodies.

Relatives, rescuers and volunteers are now focusing mainly on recovering remains, a grim but necessary task to allow grieving families to mourn with dignity, despite the overwhelming scale of the collective tragedy experienced by an entire country.

The number of missing, a persistent uncertainty

Thousands of people remain unaccounted for according to reported data, a persistent uncertainty that keeps many Venezuelan families in an agonizing state of waiting, caught between faint hope and gradual resignation in the face of the disaster's scale.

You yourself insisted, Madam Rodríguez, on the methodological rigor of your figures, stating according to Anadolu Agency: "The figure we are giving is a rigorous figure," a claim that deserves acknowledgment while remaining subject to ongoing independent verification.

What this letter is concretely asking of you

Continued transparency demanded

Madam Rodríguez, this letter asks you for continuous and verifiable transparency on the use of the 200-million-dollar reconstruction fund, so that the international community and the Venezuelan people can be assured that these resources actually reach affected families rather than getting lost in opaque administrative channels.

This demand for transparency is not a gratuitous political attack, but a legitimate request that any government, regardless of ideological orientation, should accept in the face of a disaster that has cost the lives of thousands of its own citizens.

A call for full humanitarian openness

I also ask you, in this letter, to fully facilitate access for independent international humanitarian organizations, including those that criticized the initial slowness of your response, because their expanded presence can only benefit the affected population, regardless of the political tensions this might generate.

This openness, if it fully materializes in the weeks ahead, would be a strong positive signal demonstrating that your government's true priority remains the protection and recovery of its own people, beyond domestic or international political considerations.

What the world must take away from this disaster

A disaster that transcends divides

This Venezuelan seismic disaster, with its toll of 2,595 confirmed deaths and 12,400 wounded, is a reminder of a fundamental truth too often forgotten: natural disasters do not choose their victims based on their government's political orientation, and international aid should never be conditioned by ideological considerations in the face of such a humanitarian emergency.

The mobilization observed, despite its limits and legitimate criticism, demonstrates that effective international coordination remains possible even between actors with historically strained diplomatic relations, a precedent that could inspire future responses to similar disasters elsewhere in the world.

A lesson on the fragility of infrastructure

This disaster also highlights the extreme vulnerability of infrastructure in already economically weakened countries, a lesson that should push the international community to invest more, before the next disaster strikes, in preventively strengthening the critical infrastructure of the most vulnerable nations.

Venezuela, like so many other countries facing prolonged economic crises, painfully illustrates how infrastructural neglect accumulated over years of economic hardship can turn a natural geological event into a human tragedy of disproportionate scale.

The uncertain future of Venezuela's reconstruction

Decades of work ahead of you

The full reconstruction of the affected areas, particularly in the state of La Guaira where more than 70,000 families have been affected, will likely require years, if not decades, of sustained effort, far beyond the initial 200-million-dollar fund announced this week by your government.

This time reality demands long-term planning that goes well beyond the immediate political cycle, planning that will need to survive potential changes of government and fluctuations in international attention toward this disaster once the media spotlight moves elsewhere.

The ongoing role of the international community

The international community, including financial institutions like the IMF and the World Bank, will need to sustain its commitment well beyond the immediate emergency phase, a long-term commitment that will be the true test of the sincerity of the solidarity currently being shown toward the Venezuelan people.

This open letter, Madam Rodríguez, closes with the sincere hope that the 2,595 lives lost do not simply become a forgotten statistic, but rather the starting point for a truly transparent and lasting reconstruction for your country.

The role of international media in the coverage

Global attention already fading

International media coverage of this disaster, intense in the first days after the earthquakes, is already showing signs of slowing down, a familiar but troubling phenomenon that risks reducing the public pressure needed to sustain the financial commitments promised by various international actors.

This media dynamic, observed in numerous previous natural disasters elsewhere in the world, illustrates a structural challenge that long-term reconstruction efforts systematically run into, long after the immediate emergency has faded from the spotlight.

The importance of independent journalism on the ground

Local and international journalists who continue documenting the situation in La Guaira and other affected areas play an essential role in maintaining informational pressure on your government and the international community, ensuring that the promises made this week do not turn into mere statements with no concrete follow-up.

This continued journalistic presence remains, in my view, one of the best safeguards against the gradual forgetting that systematically threatens this kind of disaster once the immediate emergency fades from the international public's mind.

Children and vulnerable people, an absolute priority

A particularly exposed population

Children, the elderly and people with disabilities are among the most vulnerable groups facing the consequences of this disaster, whether it's the immediate health risks in overcrowded shelters or the lasting psychological trauma tied to losing their home and, sometimes, family members.

This heightened vulnerability requires that reconstruction efforts, including those funded by the 200-million-dollar fund announced this week, give explicit priority to the specific needs of these populations, rather than focusing solely on general infrastructure reconstruction.

The invisible trauma that will linger

Beyond the material damage and the death and injury toll, this disaster will leave lasting psychological trauma among survivors, particularly children who experienced their home collapsing or the loss of loved ones, invisible wounds that will require long-term mental health support.

This psychological dimension of reconstruction, often neglected in favor of purely infrastructural considerations, deserves explicit attention in the long-term planning of your government and its international partners.

Conclusion: a letter that calls for remembrance

What I take away from this tragedy

Madam Rodríguez, this open letter ends where it began: with the figure of 2,595 dead and 12,400 wounded, a toll that neither geopolitics nor diplomatic tensions should ever cause the rest of the world to forget.

Your government has announced a reconstruction fund, secured an unusual collaboration with the IMF, and received aid from numerous countries and international organizations; these gestures deserve recognition, just as the legitimate criticism voiced by independent humanitarian organizations deserves to be heard and followed by concrete action.

A final word for the grieving families

To the Venezuelan families mourning a loved one lost under the rubble today, this letter can offer no sufficient consolation, but it can at least bear witness that their tragedy has not gone unnoticed beyond their country's borders, and that it deserves sustained international attention in the months and years of reconstruction ahead.

By Maxime Marquette, columnist

Columnist's transparency note

Who I am and my acknowledged biases

I am a columnist-analyst, not a journalist present in Venezuela nor a direct witness to the events described in this open letter. My analysis relies exclusively on reports from internationally recognized media outlets, explicitly cited throughout the text, including direct statements reported from Acting President Delcy Rodríguez.

What I don't know and my method

I cannot independently verify all the official figures communicated by the Venezuelan government, nor assess with certainty the future effectiveness of the announced reconstruction fund. My analysis relies on cross-referencing several recognized journalistic sources, without ever claiming absolute certainty about data that continues to evolve at the time this letter is published.

Sources

Primary sources

Delcy Rodríguez press conference on post-earthquake reconstruction — July 2026

Anadolu Agency — Venezuela earthquake death toll rises to 2,595, with 12,400 injured — July 3, 2026

Secondary sources

DW — Venezuela leader rejects criticism for earthquake response — July 3, 2026

Xinhua — Venezuela's acting president announces 200-mln-USD fund for reconstruction — June 26, 2026

Al Jazeera — World aids rescue effort as Venezuela quake death toll hits 920 — June 26, 2026

CGTN — Venezuela earthquake recovery update — July 3, 2026