Doubts Intensify Over Death and Missing Person Figures After Venezuela Earthquakes

As nearly a week passes since the catastrophic earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24, skepticism is mounting regarding the official death toll and missing persons figures. International bodies, human rights organizations, and analysts are expressing growing distrust, as the interim government led by Delcy Rodríguez continues to withhold any estimates of those unaccounted for.

The most recent government report, issued on Wednesday, recorded 2,295 fatalities and over 11,000 injuries across the affected states. This starkly contrasts with the initial prediction from the United States Geological Survey, which projected a minimum of 10,000 deaths shortly after the earthquake.

Concerns Over Missing Persons

The primary concern isn't the death count but the number of missing individuals. On Tuesday, the International Rescue Committee estimated that nearly 50,000 people remain unaccounted for, with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirming the estimate.

Tom Fletcher, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, described the figure as "terrifyingly plausible," although he clarified that not all missing persons are trapped under rubble.

Rising Skepticism and Lack of Transparency

The citizen platform Encuéntralos reported over 71,000 missing individuals by Wednesday, a figure that starkly contrasts with the government's silence. UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Venezuela, Gianluca Rampolla, stated unequivocally: "We are facing more than the reported numbers, as at least 2,500 buildings have been completely collapsed."

The UN has also procured 10,000 body bags in agreement with Venezuelan authorities, pointing to a grim reality.

Inexplicable Official Figures

Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly and Delcy's brother, disclosed that around 30,000 people were in Caraballeda and Catia La Mar during the quake; of these, between 13,400 and 13,500 self-evacuated, and 6,461 were rescued. This leaves a discrepancy of about 10,000 people unaccounted for, with no official explanation provided.

Human rights group Provea was among the first to voice concern, stating on June 28 that the "official earthquake figures bring more questions than answers" and demanded "transparency in the response to this national tragedy," criticizing the official count's minimal increase in fatalities.

Political Control and Crisis Management

Sociologist Rafael Uzcátegui, director of Peace Laboratory, attributes the lack of transparency to political control. "There's an internal trust crisis within the Armed Forces since January 3, when the U.S. captured Nicolás Maduro in Caracas. The government fears this could delegitimize Delcy Rodríguez amid the tragedy, raising questions about state capacity and resource management," he told CNN.

Uzcátegui also highlighted the absence of technical expertise in crisis management: "There's no information mechanism. The situation surpasses magnitude due to dogmatism and sectarianism; it would be different if the government involved technical experts, but it's led by loyalists."

Incidents Undermining Trust

Further eroding trust, agents from the Scientific, Criminal and Forensic Investigations Corps (CICPC) were caught looting from the debris in La Guaira. They have since been expelled and detained. Additionally, the Ministry of Communication temporarily barred journalists from accessing La Guaira, citing "health reasons and to reduce noise," according to complaints from the National Union of Press Workers.

Among the missing are at least 21 Cubans in Caraballeda, Catia La Mar, and Los Corales, with eight confirmed dead.

Uzcátegui cautioned that the regime's legitimacy crisis "will hinder" the country's reconstruction phase, especially as the constitutional 180-day term for an interim government nears its end.