After the earthquake: who is helping the Venezuelans?
Two devastating earthquakes struck Venezuela last week, claiming more than 1,400 lives and leaving tens of thousands injured, missing or homeless. Entire blocks of buildings collapsed. Rescue teams from within the country and abroad continue the search for survivors. Commentators see more in play here than a spontaneous readiness to help.
From enmity to gratitude
The Times praises the Trump administration for providing swift and comprehensive support:
“The Swiss, as often, were there first but other European nations have pledged large sums, including £2 million from Britain. Neighbouring Latin American countries, despite tensions, have promised to help too. But the most important donor, politically, economically and symbolically, is the United States. The Trump administration has seen this as a chance to define the role it wants to play in a country it spent so long denouncing: co-operative, magnanimous and supplanting former false friends in China, Russia and Cuba. If aid flows in fast, a bitter enmity might even turn to gratitude.”
US sees Venezuela as its own territory
The Süddeutsche Zeitung examines the extensive aid from the US against the backdrop of its military intervention in January:
“Just over half a year ago, the US Southern Command was besieging Venezuela in an attempt to bring down then president Nicolás Maduro. Now, the Southern Command is sending warships, fighter helicopters and a major-general to support Maduro's former deputy and successor, Delcy Rodríguez. ... This disaster teaches us two lessons: the government in Caracas is not merely a regime at the mercy of the US. ... The US, in turn, now apparently regards Venezuela as its own territory. How else can one explain the fact that it is sending not only civilian aid workers but also its own military in such numbers?”
Regime fails when it comes to helping
The Venezuelan regime only shows strength when it oppresses its own people, laments journalist and photographer Saraï Suarez in Libération:
“Faced with the gaping void left by a blind government, the Venezuelan diaspora has become the real ministry of emergency situations. Thousands of kilometres away, social media are buzzing. Venezuelans in exile are circulating photos of missing persons and sharing lists of patients. ... For years we've seen hordes of over-equipped soldiers marching out in columns to crush dissidents. ... Where are they now? Where are the water cannons, the armoured vehicles, the vast numbers of personnel, when it comes to lifting rubble rather than shattering lives? Their absence is an admission. The regime is armed only against its own people, never for them.”