Venezuela’s interim regime is using the earthquakes to bury democracy

Opinion>Opinions - International The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the view of The Hill Venezuela’s interim regime is using the earthquakes to bury democracy Comments: by Arturo McFields, opinion contributor - 07/01/26 8:30 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Arturo McFields, opinion contributor - 07/01/26 8:30 AM ET Comments: Link copied

Soldiers and a volunteer unload humanitarian aid for people affected by the earthquakes in La Guaira, Venezuela, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

All is not well in Venezuela after Nicolas Maduro.

Images of Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello obstructing the arrival of U.S. humanitarian aid offer a perfect snapshot of the post-Maduro regime’s brutality. The tragedy that took the lives of more than 1,700 people has become a political windfall for a select few — an opportunity to secure resources, legitimacy and longevity in power.

The twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela were not part of the U.S. three-phase plan — stabilization, economic recovery and transition — yet they command attention due to their profound impact and devastation. The aftershocks of this event present humanitarian, economic and political challenges, while also shaking the foundations of a fragile transition that had begun to gain momentum.

Six months ago, the unthinkable was achieved: Maduro was captured and brought before a court in New York. The Trump administration had also succeeded in removing Venezuela’s highly enriched uranium. No previous government had managed to neutralize this hemispheric threat, arising from the regime’s dangerous liaison with Iranian tyranny.

Under U.S. leadership, Venezuela secured the capture of Ali Zaki Hage Jalil, a suspected Hezbollah agent accused of involvement in a terrorist attack. After 30 years as a fugitive, he was finally captured and extradited to Panama to face justice.

The Trump administration has also succeeded in taking down Hector “El Niño” Guerrero, leader of the terrorist organization Tren de Aragua — an unprecedented operation that helped lay the groundwork for Venezuela’s stabilization phase.

In the days leading up to the earthquakes, the U.S. had also managed to initiate a process of electoral institutionalization. Dinorah Figuera, president of the 2015 National Assembly and an exile for eight years, returned to Caracas at the invitation of the State Department to meet with the new regime and advance the renewal of the National Electoral Council.

But the June 24 earthquakes have created a fissure in Venezuela’s stabilization process, once again highlighting that although Maduro is gone, his repressive and criminal system remains intact.

Chavista military forces did not arrive at the disaster zone with shovels and pickaxes, but with pistols and rifles. They did not come to save lives, but to steal people’s belongings.

Rep. Congressman Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) denounced “the despicable, illegitimate dictatorship in Venezuela,” for extorting earthquake victims. “All aid must be directly handed to the Venezuelan people. We know the regime will continue to steal and misuse any aid that reaches its hands.”

Venezuela’s earthquake tragedy also exposed the failure of 21st century socialism. Homes built under Venezuela’s Great Housing Mission, created by Hugo Chavez, were the first to collapse; out of 193 housing complexes, only three remained standing.

Faced with the severe structural deficiencies plaguing Venezuela, the U.S. has led an extraordinary humanitarian effort, increasing its financial commitment to this life-saving response to more than $300 million. In addition to previously announced humanitarian funding, the State Department has committed an extra $50 million to support the critical operations of partner organizations.

The regime’s dictatorial actions have obstructed not only the arrival of humanitarian aid but also the entry of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, currently in Panama, has said she is “willing to do whatever it takes” to return to Venezuela and “help coordinate and encourage citizens’ efforts during the emergency.”

Despite the regime’s efforts to bury democracy, gain time, treasure and tenure, the U.S. is determined to uphold the Monroe Doctrine and guarantee a secure and prosperous Venezuela. But this unprecedented commitment is being tested by fire.

President Trump put it this way: “The two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths. The U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help!”

Arturo McFields is an exiled journalist, former Nicaraguan ambassador to the Organization of American States, and a former member of the Norwegian Peace Corps. He is an alumnus of the National Defense University’s Security and Defense Seminar and the Harvard Leadership course.