Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has described the "regime" led by Delcy Rodríguez as a "failed state" and has denounced its "indolence" in the Executive's response to the double earthquake that shook the country's coast on June 24, a tragedy that has so far left about 3,890 people dead and 16,740 injured.
In an interview with the US network Univision, Machado stressed that the catastrophe has highlighted the country's institutional collapse. "If there was urgency, if there was a need for certainty, security, and the re-institutionalization of the country, now it is much greater because the evidence of the state's collapse and the indolence with which this situation was handled has exacerbated this feeling," she stated.
The opposition leader insisted that her commitment is to "a peaceful and civic path" to move towards the "re-institutionalization" of Venezuela, while describing the current situation as "that of a regime that is in total fragility."
Along these lines, she reiterated her diagnosis of the Venezuelan state structure: "It is truly a failed state, it is not just incompetence, it is not just malice. It is truly a failed state," she snapped.
Meanwhile, Caracas continues to deal with the devastating aftermath of the two earthquakes, measuring 7.5 and 7.2 on the Richter scale, recorded just over two weeks ago. In addition to the constant increase in the number of victims, more than 850 buildings have been damaged and 190 of them have collapsed completely.
According to Venezuelan authorities, more than 17,900 people have been left homeless or their homes have suffered "very severe" damage. Caracas emergency services claim to have assisted 86,794 families, rescued 6,462 people, and distributed more than 9,603 tons of food among the affected population.
Currently, 3,931 international rescuers and 30,076 personnel are mobilized to deal with the damage caused by the strong tremors. Since the double earthquake, 1,142 aftershocks have been recorded, according to the latest official report released by Caracas.