A double earthquake and an endless series of aftershocks caused by the bourgeoisie’s criminal negligence

On Wednesday 24 June, at 6.00 pm, an earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale — followed by another measuring 7.5 — shook central Venezuela. To date, the official death toll stands at nearly 5,000, with 50,000 missing and thousands left destitute. Even before these earthquakes, hyperinflation and low wages had plunged 70 per cent of the population into poverty; the disaster has now further exacerbated this precarious situation.

The state of La Guaira was the hardest hit, with more than 200 buildings reduced to rubble. In some areas, electricity and public telephone services are out of action, and digital telephone networks are malfunctioning. According to experts, the 7.5-magnitude earthquake released energy equivalent to that of 260 atomic bombs of the type dropped by the United States on Hiroshima.

An earthquake is an inevitable natural phenomenon, even if it can be predicted. It is, however, possible to ensure a certain level of structural safety. Construction projects — whether carried out by the government or by private companies — are driven by cost-cutting; when corruption is added to the mix, the results are fragile structures that become death traps. Consequently, the buildings most severely affected were those housing the working class. The history of earthquakes teaches us that capitalism is a machine for generating chaos, driven by the pursuit of profit.

Under capitalism, technology serves the cause of death

When Trump ordered the capture of Maduro, according to Dan Caine — Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff — more than 150 aircraft were deployed, including bombers, fighter jets, intelligence and surveillance platforms, and attack helicopters; furthermore, according to Trump, ‘secret weapons’ equipped with cutting-edge technology were used. This operation cost $3 billion.

In stark contrast to the precision and considerable resources mobilised during ‘Operation Inherent Resolve’, rescuing survivors buried under the rubble was not a priority for Washington. The United States announced aid of $150 million, barely 5 per cent of the expenditure incurred for the operation to capture Maduro.

In a display of hypocrisy, the United States and other governments offered aid which, however, arrived several days late and consisted of unsuitable equipment; by that stage, there was little left that could be done to save the survivors. Where, then, were their much-vaunted technological capabilities?

The interim government was also conspicuous by its absence; apart from the decree suspending educational activities, metro and train services and the gas supply, it showed no concern for rescuing those trapped. Under the pretext of curbing looting, it ordered the deployment of the military, in reality giving them free rein to loot the buildings themselves.

Wars, destruction and misery: capitalism threatens to annihilate humanity

This disaster is unfolding against a historical backdrop marked by the war in Ukraine, the genocide in the Gaza Strip, the US-Israeli war against Iran, and conflicts across Africa, the Middle East and Asia. It is exacerbated by droughts caused by climate change — notably an El Niño phenomenon described as ‘apocalyptic’ by the scientific community, which will lead to soaring food prices — as well as by a worsening global economic crisis, displacing more than 117 million people forced to flee hunger (whilst 733 million people worldwide suffer from it), destitution and extreme violence. The United States acts as the main destabilising force in its unbridled determination to defend its interests at any cost.

The case of Venezuela lays bare the effects of capitalist decomposition; corrupt factions of the bourgeoisie and petty bourgeoisie had seized control of the state apparatus under the banner of the struggle against ‘US imperialism’. During its standoff with the United States, the Chávez government spent considerable sums on arms purchases from Russia and Iran, thereby building a brutal repressive apparatus under the pretext of neutralising internal and external enemies.

The military apparatus — the government’s main instrument of power — had already demonstrated its callousness during the La Guaira mudslides of 1999, which claimed the lives of 2,000 people, destroyed hundreds of homes and displaced thousands of families; this event served as a grim prelude to what was to follow. Today, in the face of the earthquakes, the bourgeoisie is once again revealing its depravity. The government failed to act with due diligence at the most critical moments, preferring instead to focus on retaining power and ensuring loyalty and cohesion at any cost. Coordination with rescue teams from abroad was chaotic; a rescue operation organised by the German government could not be carried out due to bureaucratic obstacles. The bourgeoisie’s contempt and derision towards the disaster-stricken population are evident in Trump’s comments describing the situation in Venezuela: “Apart from the earthquake, people are happy and dancing in the streets.”

Workers can expect no help from the bourgeoisie

Public outrage is immense. Communities involved in the relief efforts are demanding that the police either provide assistance or stand aside. Violent clashes have broken out between residents and the police. Even members of international aid missions have expressed their outrage at the regime’s attitude and the presence of political parties seeking to exploit the situation for their own gain. Anger is growing by the day as the scale of the tragedy — and the bourgeois government’s responsibility — comes to light.

Many of those who had welcomed the US initiative to oust Maduro now feel betrayed by the lack of action to help the victims. Troops and military equipment have been deployed, and a field hospital has been set up, but nothing more. No pressure has been brought to bear on the government to end the repression or lift the restrictions on communications that are hampering the effectiveness of the relief operations. Meanwhile, Chavistas and the most radical elements of the left are trotting out their most toxic anti-imperialist rhetoric, calling for resistance to the ‘Yankee occupation’.

Capitalism is a decaying system, rapidly disintegrating; it offers nothing but war, misery and destruction. The very existence of this system puts the whole of humanity at risk. The abandonment of the population trapped under the rubble merely confirms the scant regard the ruling class has for the lives of workers and the exploited. Yet the outrage sparked by the degrading treatment meted out by the forces of repression also reveals that the strength of the exploited lies in their unity and solidarity.

G/L (22 July, 2026)