The leader of Topos Chile stated that military personnel subject international teams to constant checks, equipment inspections, and restrictions that hinder the search for survivors
Amid the rescue efforts for the devastating earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela, the head of the Topos Chile team, Francisco Lermanda, reported that Venezuelan military personnel are obstructing the work of international rescuers due to suspicions of espionage. He stated that the restrictions imposed by security forces have hindered the search for survivors in the most affected areas.
Lermanda explained that the 46 members of his organization have been subjected to constant checks since their arrival in the country. Among the reported measures are repeated inspections of vehicles and equipment, interrogations, cell phone checks, and even questioning for taking photographs during emergency procedures.
Members of the Topos Chile rescue team
The rescuer assured that Venezuelan authorities maintain a distrustful attitude towards foreign delegations participating in humanitarian assistance.
"They treat us as if we were spies and not rescuers," Lermanda stated, who urged Venezuelan authorities to set aside what he called a "paranoia" that ultimately delays operations where every minute can make the difference between life and death for people trapped under the rubble.
The leader of Topos Chile also criticized the heavy military presence in disaster areas and stated that institutional coordination has been insufficient. According to his testimony, bureaucratic obstacles and constant checks reduce the effective time allocated to search and rescue operations, precisely when the chances of finding survivors decrease as days go by.
These reports come as one of the largest international rescue operations in Venezuela continues. More than 3,300 rescuers from 27 countries are working together with Venezuelan agencies and United Nations agencies to locate the missing, assist the affected, and remove debris in the most impacted areas, especially in the state of La Guaira.
The communist Diosdado Cabello interfering in a U.S. rescue operation
The accusations arrive in a context of increasing tension within the emergency operation. In recent days, there was also an exchange between Diosdado Cabello and an American rescuer, while the Venezuelan government warned that any military involved in the theft or diversion of humanitarian aid will be prosecuted.
With the official death toll approaching 2,000 and thousands of people still missing, international teams insist that the priority must be to facilitate the work of rescuers to maximize the chances of saving lives before the critical search window closes definitively.
