Acting President Delcy Rodríguez is facing mounting political fallout following last week's twin earthquakes. The government stated as of Wednesday that at least 2,295 people were killed and more than 11,000 were wounded, though Rodríguez later put the rising death toll at 2,595 as search and rescue efforts continue.
The tragedy has highlighted political divisions, with nearly half of Venezuelans saying that holding new elections is more urgent than rebuilding after the disaster.
Rodríguez has hit back at criticism regarding the government's response, rejecting accusations of slow rescue efforts and claims that casualty figures were under-reported. She slammed critics for these assertions, stating that the criticism was manufactured in propaganda laboratories.
Meanwhile, the interim leader has praised Donald Trump and Marco Rubio for their support.