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ARGENTINA PERSPECTIVE
VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKES: OVER 2,600 DEAD AS ANGER GROWS AT CRISIS RESPONSE
DOMINANT ANGLE
Buenos Aires sees an opportunity to reopen a frozen diplomatic dialogue, which has been stalled for years, by extracting from the Venezuelan catastrophe, while documenting the humanitarian crisis and the political tensions surrounding the management of the emergency.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
ANALYSIS
Buenos Aires / Caracas, July 4, 2026. The Argentine government is addressing the Venezuelan crisis through a dual lens: the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe and the unexpected diplomatic opening it has generated between two governments that are ideologically at odds.
The double earthquake on June 24 — with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 — devastated the coastal state of La Guaira. The official death toll stands at 2,595, with 12,400 injured, according to Vice President Delcy Rodríguez. However, this figure is disputed: two doctors from the Caracas morgue estimate the actual number of deaths to be around 4,000, and an opposition-kept register reports over 38,000 missing persons. The United Nations has acquired 10,000 body bags in coordination with Caracas, and a maritime port has been converted into a temporary morgue due to the saturation of the mortuary system.
It is in this context that Buenos Aires has decided to take action. Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno announced the shipment of humanitarian aid and an agreement allowing Argentina to open a consular office in Venezuela — a first since the bilateral rupture due to ideological differences. "This opens the door to dialogue, and we hope it will lead to a better understanding than the one we had before this tragedy," Quirno said. The government of Javier Milei stated, "Beyond all differences, the president is extending a hand in solidarity to the Venezuelan people." An Argentine Air Force C-130 Hercules plane delivered water tanks and a generator.
The Argentine press is highlighting the rescue of Hernán Gil, a 43-year-old security guard who was extracted alive after eight days under the rubble of a shopping center in Catia La Mar. The operation, led by Chilean firefighters with teams from seven countries, involved up to 300 rescuers working in rotation. "When we found him, he asked us not to tell his wife he was alive, in case we didn't make it," said Minyar Collado, a Costa Rican Red Cross rescuer.
On the political front, the Argentine government notes that Vice President Rodríguez's disapproval rating has reached a record high of 63.3% in June, up five points from the previous month. She held her first international press conference since the earthquake to defend the state's response, citing 19,000 mobilized officials. She rejected accusations of military failure, saying, "They have shovels. This kind of generalization offends those who are helping in good faith." Nearly half of Venezuelans now consider it more urgent to hold new elections than to rebuild the country, according to a poll cited by the Argentine press.
KEY POINTS
- Argentine Minister Pablo Quirno has secured an agreement from Caracas to open a consular office in Venezuela, marking the first diplomatic breakthrough since the bilateral rift between the two governments
- The official toll stands at 2,595 dead and 12,400 injured, while the opposition reports more than 38,000 missing, as two morgue doctors in Caracas estimate the actual death toll to be around 4,000
- Hernán Gil, a 43-year-old goalkeeper, was pulled alive from the rubble after eight days by an international team of 300 rescuers from seven countries, including Chilean firefighters and the Costa Rican Red Cross
COGNITIVE BIASES IDENTIFIED
The diplomatic-centric framing: the angle of the Milei-Caracas rapprochement occupies a significant place, reflecting the singularity of the Argentine bilateral relationship rather than just the humanitarian urgency
Preference for alternative figures: opposition data (38,000 missing) and independent doctors (4,000 dead) are systematically pitted against official figures, valorizing contentious sources
Low coverage of the situation of internally displaced persons: the narrative focuses on La Guaira and the emblematic case of Hernán Gil, to the detriment of the situation of displaced populations within the country
SOURCES (4)
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