Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez has strongly defended her government's response to twin earthquakes that devastated parts of the country, dismissing criticism as 'manufactured in propaganda laboratories.' Rodríguez told foreign journalists a week after the quakes: 'We did not wait one day, two days or three days. We activated immediately.'

The administration has faced accusations of a slow and disorganized response. The NGO International Rescue Committee said the scale of relief was not meeting humanitarian needs. Rodríguez called politicizing the tragedy 'disgraceful.'

The death toll has risen to 2,595, with over 12,400 wounded. Thousands remain missing, and search efforts continue but hope for survivors is fading. Many are sleeping in crowded shelters or outdoors, with doctors warning of infectious disease outbreaks.

Rodríguez announced that the IMF and World Bank have agreed to provide financial assistance. Caracas is creating a $200 million reconstruction fund. She also thanked US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for their support, noting the US has committed over $300 million and deployed 900 military personnel for relief efforts.

Source: www.dw.com