Nine days after the double earthquake of magnitude 7.5 and 6.1 that struck northern Venezuela on June 24, rescue operations continue amid growing difficulty. According to the latest official report issued by the President of the Venezuelan Parliament, Jorge Rodriguez, the death toll has reached 2,645 with over 12,600 injured. Earlier reports cited a figure of 2,595 deaths. The disaster has caused 885 damaged buildings, of which 189 completely collapsed, and over 15,000 displaced people housed in 59 temporary camps. In Catia La Mar, under the rubble of the collapsed Oasis Beach condominium, rescue teams have located the head of the La Guaira state police, Vice Admiral Gustavo Romero Matamoros, who has been trapped since June 24. According to rescue squads, Romero is communicating with the outside through Morse code by tapping on a wall, as one hand is crushed and he cannot move one arm. He is believed to be trapped together with approximately 20 other people whose condition is unknown. His wife managed to send him a radio message urging him to hold on while rescuers approach. Team members report that the officer continues to respond to signals but is growing increasingly weak. Rescue operations must proceed with extreme caution due to the instability of the structure. The hopes for another young victim have ended tragically. Fabio, a 9-year-old boy trapped for nine days under the rubble of a collapsed building in Caraballeda, did not survive. Rescue teams from Argentina and El Salvador had worked without pause, scanning the area with sonar and georadar, but eventually no further signals were detected. According to some accounts, the boy's father, Francisco, had managed to communicate with him during the first days. The confirmation of the death was given directly by the rescuers on site. International rescue teams from several countries, including Argentina, El Salvador, and Chile, are operating on the ground. According to official data, approximately 29,500 national operators, 25,800 civilian volunteers, and over 3,300 international rescuers have been mobilized. Around 890 aftershocks have been recorded since June 24. The management of the emergency has been the subject of debate. Some journalists and volunteers on the ground have reported shortages of fuel and heavy machinery, such as cranes and excavators, which are slowing down rescue operations and forcing residents and volunteers to dig by hand. The Venezuelan government, through interim president Delcy Rodriguez, has rejected the criticism, stating that the relief machine was activated immediately after the earthquake and that delays were caused by severe damage to infrastructure and airports. The government has described the criticism as attempts to politicize a humanitarian crisis. According to the account reported by the outlet Open, Wilmer Antonio Cruz, known as El Topo, a leader of volunteer rescuers who had become a symbol of solidarity after digging by hand through the rubble, was detained by security force agents and has since disappeared. The human rights organization Provea has called for an investigation, describing the episode as arbitrary detention. This report has not been independently confirmed by other sources. The World Health Organization has raised an alarm about the risk of epidemics, including measles, due to low vaccination coverage and difficult conditions in reception centers. The WHO has allocated 1.5 million dollars from its emergency fund and sent over six tons of medicines and medical supplies, with an additional 28 tons in transit.