Aftermath of devastating twin earthquakes in Venezuela has cranked up political tensions,posing tough challenge for acting President Delcy Rodriguez. Her interim term ends Friday,pressure mounts to handle humanitarian crisis without letting it spiral into political chaos.
In her first press conference since June 24 disaster,Rodriguez fiercely defended disaster response. But public frustration over relief efforts is rising. Meanwhile,her main rival, exiled Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, calls to return to Venezuela for transition. From Panama,Machado stresses need for trusted leadership, saying, “The country needs figures it can trust.”
Machado slammed government's response as sluggish and messy,claiming her presence could help stabilize situation. She noted clear lack of effective state intervention after disaster,which claimed over 2,295 lives and injured more than 11,000,latest figures show.
As political scene shifts,government's crisis management will be under microscope,both Rodriguez and Machado seeking public backing in a nation struggling with disaster recovery and political turmoil…
