VENEZUELA'S ACTING PRESIDENT DEFENDS EARTHQUAKE RESPONSE

Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela's acting president, has issued a defence of her government's response to earthquakes that struck the country last week. Official figures indicate that 2,595 people have been confirmed dead in the disaster. Rodríguez characterised her defence as a response to criticism of the government's handling of the crisis.

Rescue teams continue to search through rubble across Venezuela for survivors eight days after the two earthquakes struck. The likelihood of locating anyone alive has diminished significantly as search and rescue operations have progressed. Rescue efforts remain ongoing despite the passage of time since the initial disaster.

The scale of the death toll has made the earthquakes among the most destructive events to affect Venezuela in recent years. Recovery and reconstruction efforts will form a substantial challenge for the government in the coming months. No confirmed timeline for the conclusion of rescue operations has been announced.