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.
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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.
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"They were poor-quality buildings – that's why they collapsed and killed so many people," said Marciel Edilberto Llarve, whose wife remains buried.
