Delcy Rodríguez Pledges New Homes by Year-End After Double Earthquake

The acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, announced that thousands of new homes will be delivered before the end of the year for those displaced by the double earthquake that struck the north of the country on June 24, leaving 1,719 dead and 5,034 injured Source: elnacionalve Source: infobae via EFE.

The disaster

The twin tremors of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 are the deadliest in Venezuela in over a century, surpassing the 1967 Caracas earthquake that killed 245 people Source: elnacionalve. The quakes affected Caracas and six northern states.

Government response

Rodríguez convened an emergency housing task force, stating: "The Ministry of Housing and Habitat is developing projects to build homes in the shortest possible time; there are thousands of solutions before the end of the year" Source: elnacionalve. Inspections by engineers and architects are underway in Caracas, Miranda, and La Guaira Source: elnacionalve. Schools remain suspended for an additional week Source: infobae via EFE.

The announcement comes as the country grapples with the aftermath of the most lethal seismic event in its modern history.