Venezuela quake deaths exceed 4,500, monthly inflation doubles to 13.8%, oil output spared

The twin magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 continue to extract a grim toll, with the official death count reaching 4,561 as of July 13. The figure was released by National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez on Telegram. The number of injured remains at 16,740, unchanged from the previous report, while more than 20,200 people are classified as homeless, sheltering in camps set up in stadiums, public squares, and on sidewalks.

Casualty toll and rescue efforts

Sunday's toll stood at 4,490 dead, meaning dozens of bodies have been recovered from the rubble in a single day. The government has reported that over 850 buildings were affected, with 190 completely collapsed. Venezuelan and foreign rescue teams are still working to extract bodies buried under the debris. In the upscale Caracas district of Chacao, the worst-hit neighbourhood of the capital, 68 people died. Three buildings collapsed there and dozens more were rendered uninhabitable. The government has not published an official number of missing persons. The United Nations had estimated that as many as 50,000 could be missing the day after the disaster, while other projections suggest a figure closer to 10,000.

The volunteer spirit

Among those searching the ruins is Miguel Baez, a volunteer braving potential further collapses. He crawls through a narrow tunnel in the wreckage of a building that fell in La Guaira, driven by the determination to find people he knows.

Stay until the end.

His resolve reflects the desperation of families still waiting for news of loved ones nearly three weeks after the ground shook twice in 39 seconds.

Housing fragility exposed

The collapse of buildings constructed under the "Gran Misión Vivienda Venezuela" program, launched by former president Hugo Chávez in the 2000s, has laid bare the frailty of social housing. The Le Monde report describes the structures crumbling "like houses of cards," leaving thousands who had been housed through the program homeless once again. The affected population is now living in makeshift camps across Caracas and the neighbouring state of La Guaira.

Oil production spared, political reshuffle

Interim President Delcy Rodríguez stated on Monday that Venezuela's oil production, which leverages the planet's largest reserves, was "not affected" by the twin quakes. Separately, in a cabinet move connected to managing the disaster's consequences, Rodríguez appointed diplomat Félix Plasencia as the new Foreign Minister. He replaces Yvan Gil, who had held the post since 2023.

Oil production was not affected.

Economic compound shock

Venezuela's monthly inflation rate more than doubled to 13.8% in June from 6.3% in May, according to central bank data cited by Bloomberg. The acceleration compounds the misery for families already devastated by the earthquakes. Surging prices for basic goods add another layer of urgency to an already dire humanitarian situation across the affected zones.