The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has reaffirmed its support for Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, amid mounting domestic criticism over her government’s handling of last week’s devastating earthquakes. Despite widespread dissatisfaction among Venezuelans regarding the official response, White House officials have praised Rodríguez’s rescue efforts and condemned opposition leader Maria Corina Machado for what they describe as political opportunism.
Rodríguez assumed leadership following a U.S. military intervention in January that displaced then-President Nicolás Maduro. The recent earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude and striking on June 24, resulted in significant loss of life and injury. Venezuelan government figures report 2,595 fatalities and over 12,400 wounded, though volunteer organizations suggest that up to 40,000 people remain missing.
In the quake’s aftermath, the United States launched a substantial aid and military relief operation to support recovery efforts, further aligning itself with Rodríguez’s administration. John Barrett, the U.S. chargé d’affaires in Caracas, expressed “a great deal of confidence” in Venezuelan authorities and described their actions as marked by “total transparency.”
However, many Venezuelans in the hardest-hit regions say government assistance has been slow or absent. Residents near Caraballeda recounted receiving little help from official channels. Carlos Hurtado, who survived the collapse of a building in that area, credited international rescue teams for their efforts but criticized Venezuelan government response as inadequate. He said, “The Venezuelan government failed here. The country has lacked everything. We were not prepared. We did not even have rescue units.” Rodríguez herself faced heckling during a visit to a rescue site.
Public sentiment appears to be shifting against Rodríguez in the wake of the disaster. A poll by AtlasIntel and Bloomberg found that 63.3 percent of Venezuelans disapprove of her leadership, a five-point increase compared to the previous month. Moreover, more citizens prioritized the election of a new president over earthquake reconstruction programs.
Some analysts warn that the government might use the earthquake’s disruption as a pretext to delay political transitions. James Story, a former U.S. ambassador to Venezuela, suggested the crisis could provide Rodríguez’s regime “a perfect excuse to try and delay the transition towards an election.”
Rodríguez criticized media coverage of the humanitarian crisis, accusing outlets of politicizing the tragedy. She defended government efforts as comprehensive, encompassing public, private, national, and international resources. Meanwhile, U.S. officials accused opposition figure María Corina Machado of exploiting the situation for personal political gain. Machado, who attempted to return to Venezuela, was denied re-entry by U.S. authorities over concerns that her presence might exacerbate instability.
The ongoing earthquake recovery underscores the complex political dynamics in Venezuela as Rodríguez’s administration faces both external backing and internal disapproval in a period of national crisis.