Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—The Venezuelan government has published its latest consolidated report this Tuesday, July 7, detailing the casualty toll, structural damages, and ongoing emergency response efforts following the unprecedented June 24 double earthquakes that struck the nation. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez has concurrently announced a series of major leadership changes across key state economic and financial institutions.
According to the president of the National Assembly and chief of staff for temporary camps, Jorge Rodríguez, the latest figures underscore the massive scale of the natural disaster, with the official death toll rising to 3,685 and reported injuries reaching 16,740. The Venezuelan seismological agency FUNVISIS continues to monitor the situation, noting that 1,076 aftershocks have been recorded so far while structural reinforcement and public safety protocols remain ongoing.
Parte Oficial: 7 de Julio de 2026 pic.twitter.com/qa8Ta6sfhI
— Miraflores Al Momento (@MirafloresAM) July 7, 2026
Updated casualty toll and infrastructure damage
Civil and institutional engineering inspections reveal a severe impact across both urban centers and peripheral communities in northern central Venezuela:
• Displaced populations: A total of 17,907 people are currently homeless due to the severe instability or complete destruction of their homes.
• Structural damage: Authorities have registered 856 buildings with varying degrees of structural damage.
• Collapsed structures: Out of the affected buildings, 190 structures have completely collapsed.
In response to these losses, a coordinated deployment of local security forces, civil protection units, and international brigades has sustained rescue operations and relief supply lines:
• Urban search and rescue: First responders have successfully rescued 6,462 people from collapsed structures.
• Comprehensive care: The executive branch reports that 86,794 families have received humanitarian support, while 25,970 patients have been provided with specialized medical care.
• Logistics and food security: Emergency networks have distributed 9,603 tons of food and 8,322,853 liters of drinking water across the 87 temporary camps that have been established for the victims.
Managing this extensive operation requires a large and diverse contingent coordinated directly by the Venezuelan state, consisting of 29,567 security officials managing public order and debris removal, 28,362 registered civil volunteers supporting logistics centers, and 4,388 specialized international rescuers deployed across various sites.
Delcy Rodríguez Appoints New Transportation & Recovery Ministers
Strategic cabinet changes and financial appointments
Amid the ongoing emergency response, Acting President Rodríguez announced several key appointments via social media to restructure administrative and productive sectors.
José David Cabello has been appointed as the new head of Pequiven, a subsidiary of the state-run oil company PDVSA, responsible for the production and commercialization of petrochemical products. José Cabello, brother of Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, had been serving as the superintendent of the National Integrated Customs and Tax Administration Service (SENIAT) from 2008 until now. The acting president expressed her wishes for his success in consolidating the country’s hydrocarbon and industrial sectors.
Replacing Cabello at the helm of SENIAT is Román Maniglia, the former head of the Banco de Venezuela. Rodríguez highlighted Maniglia’s extensive financial experience, noting that his primary mandate will be accelerating the digitization of the Venezuelan tax system to strengthen fiscal discipline and collection efficiency.
Consequently, economist Calixto Ortega will take over as the new president of the Banco de Venezuela to lead public banking operations. Ortega, who previously served as president of the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV), will simultaneously retain his role heading the Vice Presidency of Economy to ensure steady coordination of the national economic team.
Finally, Alejandro Puglia has been appointed as the new president of the International Center for Productive Investment (CIIP), replacing Ortega. Puglia is a political figure that—according to local outlets—is linked to the right-wing Democratic Action (AD) party led by Henry Ramos Allup, and is closely associated with Deputy Foreign Minister Oliver Blanco.
Puglia has already served as an advisor—since January 2026—and vice president—since June 2026—within the CIIP. The institution has taken on a more prominent role in the years after the institution’s presidency of Alex Saab, who was recently deported to the US empire in a controversial executive decision by Acting President Rodríguez.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/AU
