Mothers, fathers, children, cousins, uncles, grandchildren, neighbors.

They are the ones waiting for help around collapsed buildings in the areas most affected by the two powerful earthquakes that hit Venezuela on Wednesday and have already left more than 1,400 dead and 3,200 injured.

They wait for specialized rescuers and heavy machinery to help remove the dangerous debris under which they long to find their loved ones.

Many dare to make their way between the concrete slabs, without any protection, and remove with their own hands the corpses that are already beginning to decompose.

The scene is repeated in places like La Guaira or Caracas, and the clamor seems to be the same: they ask for more State presence.

After the earthquakes, hundreds of buildings collapsed and thousands of people were trapped under the rubble.

Many Venezuelans have denounced an insufficient response from the authorities and the feeling of frustration and indignation is growing among them, as the BBC special envoys were able to verify.

“We are all quite frustrated because the government is not showing what it should: serious help,” Caracas native Zaira Castro told BBC correspondent Will Grant.

The president in charge, Delcy Rodríguez, stated that efforts are being made “without rest” and assured: “The process of rescuing the people who are alive is our priority.”

In La Guaira, the case of Carlos Eduardo (31), whose relatives know where he is and have heard him under the rubble, but have no way to rescue him, reflects the desperation faced by thousands.

“And well, there we are, waiting for help, waiting to see if we can get him out alive,” his cousin told BBC Mundo.

In the coastal town of Caraballeada, Mileidy Romero, who was participating in rescue efforts, told the AP news agency: "There are a lot of bodies there since last night. Newborn babies."

"At 8 pm [on Saturday] there were people alive down there, and they haven't bothered to rescue them. We have located several bodies, and they haven't helped us recover them either. What are you waiting for?" he added.

A firefighter who works in the area, and who asked not to be identified, told BBC Mundo's special envoy to La Guaira, Norberto Paredes: "There are buildings where not a single stone has been removed."

“There are not enough hands,” he added. “And it is very, very likely that there are still people trapped.”

Many Venezuelans expressed their discontent by booing President Rodríguez while she visited affected areas.

"They are campaigning in the middle of a tragedy! The government does nothing for the people," shouted a woman in Chacao.

While the magnitude of this tragedy would represent a challenge for any country, many residents have complained about what they see as a hesitant and slow reaction from the Venezuelan government.

The president of the National Assembly and brother of the president, Jorge Rodríguez, assured on Saturday that 21 international delegations have been deployed to support the rescue efforts, adding a total of 2,242 rescuers and 96 canine units.

He also said that more than 30,000 people - including military and police, rescue workers, medical and paramedical personnel, support staff, psychologists and other specialists - are providing assistance.

Meanwhile, the number of deaths and injuries increases as the hours go by, and the UN estimates that around 50,000 people are missing.

The Venezuelan government declared a state of emergency after the earthquakes, which should facilitate the mobilization of personnel and resources to the disaster zone.

In addition, he announced a deployment of 14,000 soldiers.

“We are doing coordinated work between national rescue teams and international rescue teams, without rest, in these first 72 hours that are vital to saving lives,” said Delcy Rodríguez on Saturday.

Furthermore, after meeting with international brigade members, he confirmed that 33 people were rescued alive that day.

The critical point

More than 72 hours after the earthquakes, hopes of finding survivors are reduced, according to humanitarian disaster experts.

The first three days after a cataclysm like the one that took place in the country are critical for rescue efforts, they explain. Those who have been left under rubble with minor injuries can survive, fighting dehydration and crushing for that period.

But after that limit, which was met just this Saturday, specialists warn that the chances of finding survivors are considerably reduced.

The main factor is access to water and lack of medical care.

People can die simply from dehydration or from complications resulting from injuries or trauma caused during the collapse.

But for some there is still hope, as is the case of an experienced paramedic who spoke to BBC correspondent Orla Guerin during a humanitarian flight.

Steven Salazar Vásquez explained that, after 72 hours, the chances of finding people alive under the rubble are rapidly decreasing, but that “there is still hope” because there are many tall buildings that have only partially collapsed.

Salazar Vásquez added that there may be some buildings in which collapsed walls have created a viable space, what rescue teams call “the triangle of life.”

The political crisis that has affected Venezuela in recent years, experts have warned, partly explains the vulnerability of its infrastructure and also its ability to respond to the tragedy.

The injured are being treated in makeshift medical facilities and the medical centers that are still operational are overwhelmed. Health workers told the BBC that, even before the disaster, it was already difficult to care for patients.

The Ministry of the Interior, Diosdado Cabello, urged Venezuelans to abandon damaged houses due to the possibility that their structures could give way and the danger of gas leaks.

However, several media outlets have reported a lack of oversight in this regard.

The latest information from the authorities

Jorge Rodríguez stated this Saturday that the two earthquakes were “the most fateful event that this Republic has suffered in the last 123 years.”

The president of the National Assembly updated the official number of fatalities, which rose to 1,430, and said that 3,238 injuries were reported.

Rodríguez asked Venezuelans to avoid moving to the state of La Guaira, the area most affected by the earthquakes, to facilitate the work of the rescue teams.

Access to La Guaira remained restricted this Saturday, according to the Reuters news agency.

Authorities maintained checkpoints on the main highway connecting to Caracas as traffic slowed emergency vehicles, and civilians who were not part of official rescue teams needed credentials to pass checkpoints.

According to Rodríguez, 3,142 families are now in shelters after their homes were affected by the earthquakes.

The leader also specified that after the double seismic movement on Wednesday, 430 aftershocks have occurred.

“That speaks of the devastating and lethal power that this earthquake, these two earthquakes and their aftershocks have also had,” Rodríguez added.

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