CARACAS, July 8, (v7n)– Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez announced on Tuesday that the international airport damaged in last month's twin earthquakes would reopen as soon as possible using an alternative runway, as the country continues to grapple with the aftermath of one of Latin America's worst seismic disasters.
Simon Bolivar International Airport, located in La Guaira north of Caracas—the epicenter of the June 24 quakes—has been partially open to humanitarian flights. The temblors, measuring 7.3 and 7.5 magnitude, toppled scores of residential buildings, killed nearly 3,700 people, and left thousands homeless, with many more still missing.
"I ordered the immediate activation of an alternative plan to allow commercial flights to resume as soon as possible using the airport's parallel runway," Rodriguez said in a Telegram message. US airmen and military experts have been assisting in reopening the airport and repairing the quake-hit port in La Guaira to facilitate supplies and equipment delivery.
US embassy Charge d'Affaires John Barrett said US officials were already in talks with American commercial airlines to resume flights, though no precise date was given. US Southern Command chief General Francis Donovan noted that around 2,000 US troops have been deployed for disaster relief, with US helicopters and planes frequently operating at the airport.
Nearly two weeks after the quakes, international rescue teams are winding down survivor searches, while families continue to scour ruins for loved ones. The government updated the death toll to 3,685, with nearly 17,000 injured. Thousands remain homeless, sleeping in tents or temporary camps.
In the Caraballeda area, 66-year-old Lazaro Rubio, whose wife and two daughters are trapped in the rubble, said: "We're not leaving here until we recover the bodies... It's my duty."
Rodriguez has defended the government's response, though many have expressed anger over delays in rescue efforts. The UN estimates the quakes caused $6.7 billion in damage—six percent of Venezuela's GDP—and has appealed for $14.85 million to support 30,000 affected people over six months. Venezuela was already struggling with economic crisis and political turmoil before the disaster.
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