US Quake Relief in Venezuela Meets Public Anger at Interim Government

Massive U.S. earthquake relief operations in Venezuela are increasingly colliding with widespread public hostility toward acting President Delcy Rodríguez’s interim government.

The Trump administration has poured resources into the disaster response following twin earthquakes last Wednesday that killed at least 1,719 people.

The effort is intended to demonstrate the benefits of Washington’s alliance with the interim leadership.

Public reception, however, remains deeply polarized. Residents recently cheered paramedics from Virginia who rescued a trapped father and son, while crowds jeered Rodríguez and demanded she leave a hard-hit neighborhood.

Deepening Resentment

The earthquake constitutes the first major test of Washington’s effort to legitimize Rodríguez’s rule.

The Trump administration has backed her since a US military raid captured her predecessor, Nicolás Maduro.

The current government is widely associated with prior economic mismanagement that drove millions of citizens abroad.

Tens of thousands remain missing and roughly 16,000 are homeless, fueling local resentment.

Praise for local authorities from US officials has exacerbated public frustration.

Top U.S. diplomat John Barrett publicly vouched for the Rodríguez administration's transparency, drawing criticism from Venezuelans who accuse the government of bungling the response.

Diego Arria, a former Venezuelan diplomat, warned that Washington risks damaging its own interests by closely aligning with the interim leadership.

Expanded US Deployment

U.S. officials characterize the deployment as a broader strategic initiative rather than a standard humanitarian mission.

Washington has doubled its aid commitment to $300 million, directing $100 million through the United Nations.

The deployment includes more than 300 search-and-rescue personnel from California, Florida, and Virginia.

American military forces have also restored a damaged runway at Caracas’s main international airport, enabling the daily arrival of heavy military transports.

U.S. Marines are repairing the port at La Guaira, with the USS Fort Lauderdale serving as a logistics hub.

Four U.S.-funded field hospitals are operational, and an agreement with Starlink is providing emergency satellite internet.

Military Friction

Coordination on the ground remains fractured. Rescue workers report harassment by Venezuelan security forces, with locals accusing National Guard troops of incompetence and mocked them for taking selfies near flattened buildings.

Francisco Lermanda, a Chilean search-and-rescue worker, stated that Venezuelan soldiers repeatedly interrupted search efforts to check foreign teams' documents for suspected espionage.

In Washington, some Republican lawmakers have criticized Diosdado Cabello, the second-most powerful official in the interim government, for allegedly impeding aid distribution.

One widely circulated video showed an American rescue worker directly confronting Cabello over a refusal to assist a trapped survivor, underscoring the operational friction between international teams and local authorities.