Venezuelan authorities have confirmed that the death toll from the recent series of earthquakes has risen to more than 4,000, with 16,740 people injured. As of this weekend, the government has begun a biometric census to register the thousands of residents displaced by the disaster, while international aid efforts continue to face logistical challenges and reports of restricted access at key search sites.
### Official Death Toll and Humanitarian Response
The latest update, released by Venezuelan authorities on Friday night, includes 229 additional fatalities. Among the casualties, 41 individuals are confirmed to be Spanish nationals. The impact remains concentrated in the capital, Caracas, as well as the states of Miranda and La Guaira, where the government has established 89 temporary camps to house those whose homes were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable.
The humanitarian response is currently focused on long-term housing solutions, mental health support, and the protection of children. Tom Fletcher, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, confirmed that the UN is supporting a government-led plan to import prefabricated housing units to address the immediate shelter crisis.
### Biometric Census and Reconstruction Plans
Beginning this Saturday, the government will initiate a biometric registration process for the thousands of displaced individuals. Using fingerprint-reading technology, the state aims to document the specific needs of every affected person within the temporary camps.
Delcy Rodríguez, the acting president, stated that the registration will follow a progressive schedule to ensure comprehensive data collection. Additionally, the government has established a financial fund intended to assist neighborhood associations with the repair of damaged residential buildings. Regarding future construction, Rodríguez noted that experts in soil and subsoil analysis are currently identifying locations for the development of “antisísmic cities,” with a goal of providing permanent housing for all affected families by the end of the year.
### Challenges in Search and Rescue Operations
Despite the presence of 3,454 international rescue workers and 30,076 mobilized security personnel, families of the missing continue to report significant obstacles in recovery efforts. In La Guaira, which sustained heavy structural damage, relatives of those trapped under the rubble of the Celtamar building have publicly denounced the intervention of the armed forces.
Eva Belkrin, who is searching for her two daughters, stated that the military has actively prevented families from utilizing their own technical and human resources to search the wreckage. “The National Armed Forces have not let us work,” Belkrin said. “We have not been permitted, with machinery in hand, to enter the building.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports that 11 Spanish citizens remain located under rubble, with another 138 listed as missing.
### Seismic Activity and Operational Status
Since the initial seismic events on June 24, the region has experienced 1,171 aftershocks. A magnitude 3.9 tremor was recorded on Friday in the northern part of the country; however, authorities have not reported any new casualties or additional structural damage resulting from this specific event.
The government maintains that its current focus is the transition from emergency rescue to the “aggressive and rapid” construction phase, though the tension between the state-managed rescue operations and the families of the victims remains unresolved.
