Two powerful earthquakes have reduced a flagship government housing project in Venezuela to rubble, exposing the deep decay of the Bolivarian revolution and triggering widespread anger at the regime's inept response.
The OPPE 25 complex in Caraballeda, a symbol of Hugo Chávez's populist promise, collapsed within seconds during the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes on June 24.
At least 4,118 people died and nearly 17,000 were injured across the northern coast.
Survivors like Gabriel González, a construction worker who once proudly supported Chávez, now live in donated tents on a nearby golf course.
His son and mother-in-law remain missing. "We don't have a government," he said, criticizing the sluggish response from acting leader Delcy Rodríguez.
González recalled the joy of receiving his apartment in 2013 after losing his home in mudslides.
But after Chávez's death, poverty, hyperinflation, and authoritarian rule under Nicolás Maduro soured his loyalty. "Unfortunately, what happened is that it became a dictatorship," he said.
Anger Amid the Rubble
Residents and relatives have been digging through the wreckage with their bare hands, often without help from authorities.
"There are more rifles here than pickaxes and shovels," said Milagri Rodríguez Guanire, who flew from Chile to search for her mother.
Many blame poor construction for the scale of the disaster.
"They were poor-quality buildings – that's why they collapsed and killed so many people," said Marciel Edilberto Llarve, whose wife remains buried.
Structural engineer Carlos Genatios questioned why large buildings were erected on soft soil in a seismic zone without proper codes.
Genatios, a former minister under Chávez, said the earthquakes released energy equivalent to 240 Hiroshima bombs. He argued that better planning could have saved many lives.
"The losses could have been far fewer," he said.
Rodríguez has defended her government's response, blaming a media conspiracy.
But a post-disaster poll showed 63% of Venezuelans disapprove of her handling, and nearly half consider fresh elections more urgent than reconstruction.
As the search for survivors continues, the ruins of OPPE 25 stand as a stark metaphor for a revolution that many say no longer exists.
"There's absolutely no revolution any more – their motivation is basically just money and power," Genatios said.
