Venezuela's Military Earthquake Response Marred by Chaos

According to several sources, the Venezuelan military was unprepared to respond to the devastating earthquakes that struck the country in late June.

Reuters, citing active-duty and former officers, diplomatic sources and other informants, reports that the deployment of troops was hampered by delayed orders, poor coordination and a lack of equipment.

As a result, in the early days, most of the rescue work was carried out by local residents and volunteers, who were later joined by international rescue teams.

Critics point out that the chaos cost rescuers valuable hours during which more lives could have been saved. The government rejects these criticisms, and acting President Delcy Rodríguez insists that the state responded immediately.

According to military sources, however, the army did not have a contingency plan in place or sufficient operational readiness for such a disaster.

(Reuters)