The United States military has repaired and reopened a major seaport in Venezuela’s worst-hit earthquake zone as authorities begin burying victims of the devastating twin earthquakes that have claimed more than 1,700 lives.
The development comes five days after the powerful back-to-back earthquakes devastated entire communities, leaving thousands injured and tens of thousands still unaccounted for.
According to the latest official figures, at least 1,700 people have died while 5,000 others have been injured. Authorities have yet to provide an official number of those still missing, although other estimates suggest the figure could run into the tens of thousands.
The Port of La Guaira has resumed operations, with the USS Fort Lauderdale docked to deliver humanitarian supplies. An AFP correspondent at the scene reported that a warehouse near the port contained hundreds of unidentified bodies stored in white and black body bags alongside several coffins.
Outside the temporary morgue, grieving relatives waited anxiously for updates as forensic personnel worked to identify victims.
Nearby, rescue workers and volunteers continued searching through collapsed buildings, although hopes of finding survivors have diminished significantly five days after the disaster.
American military personnel are also assisting with efforts to restore operations at Simon Bolivar International Airport near Caracas, which sustained significant damage during the earthquakes.
On Monday, a fresh 4.6-magnitude earthquake rattled the area, triggering renewed fear among residents already traumatised by the disaster.
Rescue Teams Continue Search Despite Slim Chances
The Venezuelan government has deployed military personnel across La Guaira and introduced a permit system restricting access to the disaster zone.
Residents have expressed frustration over what they describe as a slow government response in a country already struggling with years of economic and political challenges.
According to Gianluca Rampolla, the United Nations coordinator in Venezuela, 27 countries have deployed nearly 40 search-and-rescue teams, involving more than 2,000 emergency personnel and over 160 rescue dogs.
Rampolla also disclosed that the United Nations would provide 10,000 body bags, while expressing hope that the final death toll would not reach current projections.
Although the internationally recognised 72-hour rescue window officially closed on Saturday evening, search operations have continued.
Those efforts paid off on Monday when a 21-year-old man identified as Aaron Levi was rescued alive from the rubble in the coastal town of Tanaguarena, according to footage shared by a photographer who witnessed the operation.
The United Nations estimates that nearly seven million people will ultimately be affected by the disaster, while the earthquakes are expected to cause approximately $6.7 billion in economic losses, representing about 6 percent of Venezuela’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Families Say Final Goodbye
At Caracas’ main public cemetery, funeral services have intensified as families begin laying their loved ones to rest.
The cemetery’s two cremation ovens are operating continuously, while dozens of grieving families wait for burial arrangements.
Between Friday and Sunday alone, officials conducted between 60 and 70 burials each day.
Emotional scenes unfolded during the funerals, with mourners openly expressing their grief.
When workers prepared to seal the burial niche of his nephew, Sergio Vergara collapsed to his knees after helping recover the bodies of several relatives from a collapsed building in La Guaira.
“It was a horrible experience, pulling him out, his children,” said the 42-year-old.
Many families are still waiting for confirmation about missing relatives.
“My family is there — I’m told my sister and her children are there, as well as the children of my brother,” Wilker Molalla told AFP while waiting to identify bodies.
“There were 11 people in my household; only two of us survived because we were at work,” he said.
Politics Remains in Focus
As rescue operations continue, political tensions have also resurfaced.
Opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado accused the interim administration led by Delcy Rodriguez of preventing her return to Venezuela.
Machado, who has been living in exile since December after leaving the country to receive her Nobel Prize in Oslo, released a video on X addressing supporters.
“I am ready and close to Venezuela and will do whatever it takes for us to meet there,” she said, while alleging that the government had effectively closed the country’s airspace to stop her return.
The Venezuelan government has not responded to the allegation, and neither has the United States, which continues coordinating humanitarian operations in the country.
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