Venezuela’s leader defends quake response as thousands remain missing

Venezuela’s Interim President Delcy Rodriguez on Thursday rejected allegations that her government reacted ⁠too slowly to destruction caused by two earthquakes which killed more than 2,000 people, after days of widespread criticism of the official response.Civilians of all stripes - including survivors, family members, volunteer paramedics and foreign rescue teams - have descended on disaster areas, especially the hardest-hit northern state of La Guaira, since the 7.2 and 7.5-magnitude quakes struck on June 24.Many of those digging through the rubble, along with international aid organisations, say the government’s response was slow and ineffectual, with aid like food and medical supplies delayed and an ongoing lack of heavy machinery to move debris amid ongoing search operations.