The Disaster of December 1999

Large rainfalls are not uncommon to Venezuela and neither are mudslides. These usually occur during the rainy season however, this year two weeks after the normal period for the rain ended, Venezuela experienced a continual downpour of rain for over 7 days straight. The result culminating in the worst natural disaster since the earthquake in Caracas on July 29, 1967 in which 55 people died and 1518 were injured.

The hardest hit area, the state of Vargas, half the size of Rhode Island, received tons of mud, rocks and debris which flowed down in a strong, unyielding motion from the mountain ridges of El Avila on the north side. From Chichiriviche on the west to Osma on the east, people experienced devastation like none other. Those towns hardest hit were Catia la Mar, La Guaira, Macuto, Caraballeda (specifically Los Corales residencia) and Carmen de Uria. These paths of mudslide floods occurred along a 60-mile coastline called El Litoral in the state of Vargas. Ninety percent of Vargas' aproximately 350,000 residents were hit by the floods. Shantytowns erected illegally fell victims to the devastating onslaught of rainwater, mud and debris. In some cases, entire village areas were completely wiped out. Not only were the popular class affected but affluent neighborhoods that had been built in flood zones were inundated with flooding also. In many areas, mud as deep as telephone poles exist now where streets once operated. Entire first floors of buildings are now occupied with mud. Officials have stated that the area in Vargas State will be razed and turned into parks.

The numbers of those affected are staggering. While many are interested in putting numbers to those affected, missing, and dead, no one will be able to be exact in the total lives involved. The death toll, while originally given between 5,000 and 30,000, new figures are reporting as many as 50,000 could have lost their lives. It is our guestimate that the number is at least double. Although several thousand bodies have been recovered, the vast multitude were either buried under the mountain of mud or swept out to sea. The government moved swiftly to evacuate as many people as was willing to leave. To date, approximately, 100,000 people have been evacuated to approximately 37-relief shelters in Venezuela. Since the initial evacuation time, many refugees have been reunited with family throughout Venezuela, thus decreasing the population of the relief shelters. However, many victims are without their families to live with or children who have become orphans as the result of the disaster. It is reported that 150,000 have been left homeless due to the disaster. Approximately, 50,000 people remain in the affected area.

Foreign assistance has been of great benefit to the people of Venezuela. Tons of medicine, food, blanket, rescue workers, medical personnel and other necessitates for life such as water purification centers were flown or shipped in from various counties. Lime was used to cover the dead bodies. Caution was of the utmost importance as the reconstruction efforts began in order to minimize contamination from the corpses. Government officials estimate that it will take 10 years to rebuild the state of Vargas.

Where are these displaced people going? Many are still in relief shelters while others have been reunited with their families. This crisis has paved the way for President Chavez to initiate a new phase of the Bolívar 2000 program. This program was designed to relocate those families living in barrios to the country's interior, the underdeveloped regions in the country's southern Great Plains and eastern Amazon jungle. It is an effort to reduce the number of the urban population at the same time, providing an opportunity of the popular class to homestead a piece of land. Presently, private businessmen have begun a building project of 200 home in Charallave, to the south of Caracas, for the displaced families of the flooding.