Venezuela's hardware market steadies as opposition joins negotiations after July earthquakes

Bruno Saglimbeni, president of the National Hardware Chamber, said the sector is well supplied after the recent earthquakes, with local production of cement, rebar and sheet metal and imported tools stocked for six months. Companies Corimón and Grupo Doncen kept prices unchanged to support the emergency. Temporary closure of the La Guaira port forced shipments to be rerouted to Puerto Cabello, but container dispatches have returned to normal. In Vargas state, ten hardware stores suffered total loss and fifteen incurred damage, while the country’s roughly 7,000 hardware stores continue to provide materials for reconstruction.

Political leader Dinorah Figuera called for a democratic route that strengthens electoral institutions and guarantees civil and political freedoms, thanking the United States for humanitarian assistance—including hospitals, personnel and financial resources—following the dual earthquakes.

Parliamentary President Jorge Rodríguez announced a new legislative agenda to begin on 1 August. Simón Calzadilla of the Movimiento por Venezuela welcomed the inclusion of opposition figures such as Figuera in negotiations with the government and the United States, saying it could open possibilities for political restructuring, reinstitution and economic recovery. The MPV has also filed a legal request to remove the board of the Central Bank of Venezuela over alleged fiscal‑deficit financing.