Venezuela inspects quake damage, commemorates Bolívar, reshuffles military
A month after the devastating double earthquake on 24 June, which left at least 5,546 dead, 16,740 injured and over 17,900 displaced, the Colegio de Ingenieros de Venezuela (CIV) reported that more than 8,000 structures in Caracas have been inspected. Over 70 % were deemed habitable, while roughly 25 % were classified as requiring precaution or completely uninhabitable. Around 6,000 engineers volunteered in the effort, and the organisation aims to complete about 12,000 inspections across the capital.
The World Bank estimated direct physical damages at US$19.6 billion and warned that a slow reconstruction could hinder economic recovery for a decade. In parallel, local authorities in Chacao are discussing the installation of a seismic‑alert system and have cleared more than 83,000 tonnes of rubble.
On 24 July, Venezuela marked the 243rd anniversary of Simón Bolívar’s birth with floral tributes, speeches by acting President Delcy Rodríguez and other officials, and honors for the armed forces. The commemorations also included a minute of silence for the earthquake victims.
The same day, Rodríguez announced a high‑level reshuffle of the Bolivarian National Armed Force: Gustavo González López was confirmed as Defence Minister, new commanders were named for the Strategic Operational Command, the Army, and six of the eight Strategic Defense Regions, and other senior posts were ratified.