Caracas, Venezuela – Venezuelan Interim President Delcy Rodríguez rejected criticism against her government’s response to the deadly twin earthquakes that struck on June 24 in a press conference on Thursday.
She denied that the government acted too slowly in mobilizing its response to the crisis and clashed with international journalists, whom she accused of being complicit in “media laboratories.”
In the days following the tremors – which have killed at least 2,595 people – many citizens condemned the state for taking too long to deploy search and rescue teams, while others cited poor building construction, safety standards, and basic services to respond to the disaster.
“We’ve done everything in our power, and we’ll continue to do everything in our power and more,” Rodríguez told journalists on Thursday, flanked by Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and Education Minister Héctor Rodríguez Castro.
The president, who took over when Nicolás Maduro was captured by the United States on January 3, denied that the state was slow to respond to the disaster. “”We did not wait one, two or three days. We acted immediately.”
In the days after the earthquakes, many of the hardest hit areas did not receive help from the government, with locals forced to try to dig loved ones out of the rubble by themselves. But in many cases, a lack of heavy machinery made the task impossible.
Rodríguez blamed a malicious media campaign for the early chaos, saying bad actors called on people to take aid to La Guaira, one of the worst-affected cities, knowing it would block the way for rescue teams.
“That’s why we militarized,” she said, justifying the deployment of the armed forces, who blocked individuals from entering La Guaira to deliver aid.
In a combative press conference, Rodríguez showed a video interview of a UN official defending the government’s response and even ushered a cameraman over to film her WhatsApp messages ordering a disaster response in the early stages of the crisis.
But more than a week since the earthquakes, residents of La Guaira remain dissatisfied with the government. Speaking to Latin America Reports, many were visibly frustrated with the state’s response and decried the lack of assistance they have received.
With rescue operations still ongoing, thousands who lost their homes now await the next phase of support from the state: a new place to live.
Featured image description: Delcy Rodríguez speaks at a press conference on July 2, 2026.
Featured image credit: Alfie Pannell.
