Public anger at the Venezuelan government's botched response to twin earthquakes that killed nearly 4,500 people is growing, with one grieving mother caught on camera berating the son of former president Nicolás Maduro. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
Damely Yaneth Díaz, a resident of Catia La Mar, shouted at congressman Nicolás Maduro Guerra: "I didn't lose a kitchen! I lost a daughter!" in scenes captured by Norwegian broadcaster TV2 last week. Díaz said: "The lot of you should be arrested. This was recklessness and you must pay!" Bystanders cheered and urged European journalists to continue filming.
The 24 June quakes levelled scores of buildings in the northern state of La Guaira and caused major damage in Caracas. The official death toll stands at 4,490, but is expected to rise significantly as many bodies remain under rubble.
US-backed acting president Delcy Rodríguez dismissed criticism as a "nefarious media campaign". She insisted her administration and armed forces were working "tirelessly" but has avoided high-profile interactions with victims' families. On Friday, she told soldiers that "wretched" critics "will be buried".
Maduro's 36-year-old son said he understood the mother's fury: "Yes, I understand and I support [her]. I can't imagine the pain she feels." Asked about shoddy construction of government housing, he replied: "I don't know, I'm not an architect. I'm an economist."
Public indignation threatens to derail US President Donald Trump's efforts to control Venezuela. The White House has sent nearly 1,000 military personnel to reinforce the emergency response. The New York Times claimed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is now effectively running Venezuela from Washington.
Francisco González, 60, said: "I think God is punishing the politicians." He recalled Hugo Chávez's energetic response to the 1999 landslides: "Chávez loved the people, not like these scoundrels we've got now."