In the aftermath of the June 2026 earthquakes that struck Venezuela, Amnesty International has called for a human-rights centered approach in the country’s disaster response efforts. The earthquakes, which occurred on June 24, devastated infrastructure in densely populated regions, such as Caracas, intensifying Venezuela’s already critical humanitarian situation. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), economic stagnation, runaway inflation, and weakened public services left 7.9 million Venezuelans in need of humanitarian aid at the start of 2026.
Amnesty International’s investigations, which included interviews with affected families, identified delays and inadequacies in emergency response efforts by the authorities. Many civilians reported having to use improvised tools or their bare hands for search and rescue missions. Deployment of police and military personnel appeared more focused on surveillance and maintaining territorial control than on rescue operations. One of the major issues Amnesty International highlighted was the lack of transparency from authorities, such as the absence of official figures on missing persons and inconsistencies in reported death tolls. The Venezuelan authorities reported 6,509 deaths, while the governor of La Guaira state estimated around 7,265 fatalities.
The organization also pointed out the significant impact of Venezuela’s Law on Oversight, Regulation, Operation and Financing of Non-Governmental Organizations and Non-profit Social Organization on relief efforts. The law, enacted in 2024, imposes substantial legal and financial constraints on NGOs, delaying or preventing them from providing assistance. Amnesty International urged the Venezuelan government to ensure transparency, access to accurate information, and create a single registry for victims to facilitate non-discriminatory support, such as housing and healthcare.
Calls for the Venezuelan government to enhance responsibility and transparency have also extended internationally. Organizations including Human Rights Watch expressed concerns about the curbing of freedom that NGOs face under the stringent regulatory environment created by the NGO law. Efforts to provide effective disaster relief and reconstruction are seen as heavily obstructed by these regulations, prompting calls for revisions.
UN OCHA reported that as of August 2026, nearly 364,000 people affected by the earthquakes received humanitarian aid. However, these efforts are overshadowed by the ongoing challenges in Venezuela’s societal infrastructure and the legal hurdles faced by non-profit organizations, underlining a pressing need for reform and accountability in handling the crisis effectively.