In Venezuela, which suffered heavy damage from a massive earthquake, criticism is mounting that Acting President Delcy Rodríguez and opposition leader María Corina Machado are vying for political dominance over earthquake relief.
According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 28th local time, the opposition Vente, led by Machado, mobilized volunteers nationwide last week to raise relief supplies for people who lost their homes in the quake, but was blocked by the Venezuelan National Police.
Heidi Loysset, a member of the opposition leadership, said that while operating a collection site in Portuguesa state, about 440 kilometers from the disaster area, officials from the Venezuelan National Police and the Federal Civil Protection Agency came and tried to stop the fundraising, saying, "Relief supplies must be delivered through the federal government."
The NYT assessed the case by saying, "The clash over who will take credit for earthquake relief illustrates the broader fight for political survival playing out in a divided Venezuela."
Some worry that Acting President Rodríguez could use the disaster response as a means to bolster her political legitimacy. The idea is to highlight disaster response achievements to the international community to mask internal turmoil and shore up her power base.
In particular, as a video spreads online showing Venezuelan police directing volunteers to the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV)'s official donation sites, such concerns are growing. Fundraising sites run by the opposition are said to have been notified by the government that they cannot use the name "donation center."
The Rodríguez administration counters that the measures are unavoidable to maintain order. It says it is merely controlling affected areas and roads so relief vehicles and emergency crews can operate smoothly. Acting President Rodríguez also urged, "Those not in charge of rescue or public safety in La Guaira state should refrain from traveling."
Machado has not escaped criticism that she is also exploiting disaster relief for political purposes. Pablo Quintero, a political consultant who mainly works with the opposition, said, "Machado has a political agenda as well," and noted, "It is an objective reality that her media operation is waging a campaign highlighting the government's incompetence."
Earlier, the NYT also reported that Machado sought to return to Venezuela after the earthquake, and that some U.S. government officials were displeased, viewing her attempt to return amid a national state of emergency as a "political show."
Cynthia Arnson, an adjunct professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), said, "In such an enormous humanitarian crisis, there is ample possibility that Rodríguez will use the earthquake as a pretext to delay discussions on a democratic transition," but added, "In a few weeks or months, the earthquake will further highlight the government's inability to meet even the basic needs of the people."