Venezuelans Using Phones for Flashlights, Maduro Spying App to Find Missing Earthquake Victims
Venezuelans Using Phones for Flashlights, Maduro Spying App to Find Missing Earthquake Victims
Acting President of Venezuela Delcy Rodríguez on Thursday announced that VenApp, a state-owned social media platform once used by Nicolás Maduro to hunt anti-socialist dissidents, is being used to report missing individuals in the aftermath of Wednesday’s deadly twin earthquakes.
Venezuela suffered two back-to-back magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes on Wednesday evening, causing widespread destruction and the collapse of numerous buildings, mostly in the capital city of Caracas and the neighboring state of La Guaira. Venezuela’s main airport, the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, La Guaira, was shut down after suffering damages to its infrastructure.
According to official information from the Venezuelan regime, the death toll climbed from 32 to 164 in the early morning hours of Thursday, with at least 970 reported injured at press time.
Rodríguez, speaking in an emergency early Thursday morning broadcast, announced that VenApp was immediately activated with functions to report missing persons after the earthquake and to report structural damage in Venezuelan households. VenApp is a multi-purpose social media platform launched by the Venezuelan socialist regime in 2022 during the rule of dictator Nicolás Maduro as part of a “transparency and accountability” initiative. The platform, and its corresponding smartphone applications, have been used by the regime in the past for nefarious purposes.
At the time of its initial release, Venezuelan authorities claimed that VenApp allowed users to file complaints and denounce malfunctions in Venezuela’s rundown public utilities in addition to other types of services. In the aftermath of the July 2024 sham presidential election, Maduro ordered VenApp to be retrofitted with new features to allow users to report dissidents of the socialist regime so that Venezuelan law enforcement could “go against them.” In late 2025, Maduro sought to use VenApp’s existing infrastructure for the development of a full-fledged “snitch” app. The plans, however, appear not to have materialized following Maduro’s arrest by U.S. forces on January 3.
Decades’ worth of a lack of investment by Venezuelan authorities appear to have left the nation ill-prepared to face natural disasters. For years, Venezuelan outlets denounced that the lack of proper maintenance left Venezuela’s Civil Protection and other disaster and emergency response units without proper resources, emergency equipment, and supplies to face natural catastrophes.
Footage published by Venezuelan journalists in the aftermath of Wednesday’s deadly tragedy show rescue workers carrying out search and rescue operations in the ruins of collapsed buildings without basic instruments — having to use phones as flashlights.
Acting President Rodríguez, in an unprecedented move for the nation’s socialist authorities, called for the nation’s private sector to allow the Venezuelan state to rent heavy machinery to be used in the ongoing search and rescue efforts. Per the Venezuelan state-owned news channel VTV, Rodríguez held a conversation with the head of Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Commerce (Fedecamaras) to expedite efforts towards obtaining the heavy-lifting equipment.
President Donald Trump announced in a Truth Social post that the United States is ready to help Venezuela. Trump emphasized that the early reports “are not good.” Speaking to reporters on Thursday morning, Secretary of State Marco Rubio detailed that the United States is deploying search and rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles, California.
“That’s their most immediate need right now is search and rescue efforts. They have a bunch of collapsed buildings, and so they’ll need a lot of help in terms of digging through that. The airport there is badly damaged, so we’ll have to rely on the Department of War to deploy assets there,” Rubio said. “And then we’re also helping them with some overhead imagery, especially in coastal areas where they don’t have full visibility over what the damage has been and what the impact has been.”
“Those are the acute, like short-term needs over the next 48 to 72 hours because in search and rescue you’re trying to get to people while you can still save their lives. They’re buried under rubble,” he stressed.
Several other nations, including El Salvador, Mexico, Qatar, and India, have expressed their willingness to provide help and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela.
While the Venezuelan regime reported a death toll of at least 164 as of Thursday morning, a preliminary U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) disaster model estimates a high chance of significantly greater loss of life than the latest official reports — ranging anywhere between 10,000 to 100,000.
Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price subsidising their life by livestreaming
Venezuela Fury and her husband Noah Price look to be making their own way in the world by raking it in from their lucrative social media accounts.
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury, 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year.
Since getting married and moving in together the couple have been earning thousands of pounds a month, livestreaming their life as newlyweds in their static caravan in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
And fans can't get enough of their regular life updates on TikTok and Kick, which have proved to be very profitable for the pair.
They look to be supporting themselves after Noah denied that he was given £5million by Venezuela's family as a wedding gift.
Despite his wife's huge family wealth, an estimated combined £160 million, Noah recently told his Kick followers that he 'pays for everything' for the couple.
Making light of the claims about Venezuela's millionaire financial status, Noah said: 'I actually pay for everything unfortunately. You'd expect the millionaire to pay for it wouldn't you.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price are earning thousands livestreaming their caravan life - after her new groom insisted he pays all the bills and denied he had £5m handout from her dad
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury , 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year
Venezuela then asked their fans: 'Do you think I am a millionaire?'
Noah joked: 'She isn't a secret millionaire guys', before she broke into song and sang: 'But I live like a millionaire!'
But it seems according to estimated calculations from their social media work, Noah and Venezuela can more than afford to support themselves.
Noah has been livestreaming on platforms such as Kick and TikTok, where viewers can send paid gifts or donations.
He was previously encouraging viewers to send gifts on his honeymoon during livestreams, suggesting this is one revenue stream.
Both Noah and Venezuela have built substantial followings on Instagram and TikTok. They can potentially earn money through sponsored posts, brand collaborations, affiliate links and creator payouts.
Kick allows its creators to take home 95 per cent of the £4.99 subscription cost that fans pay.
Streamers keep 100 per cent of direct tips and donations, minus minor standard payment processing fees.
It is unclear how many subscribers Noah currently has because this information is hidden, but he does have 7,200 followers which is publicly viewable.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million
In one video on their honeymoon, Noah asked his followers if they'd give them some more gifts now that they were married.
In a TikTok live viewed by 20,000 he said: 'Keep liking our videos people, keep sending gifts.'
After saying thank you to several of his followers he joked they should stick around on the livestream and 'watch Venezuela punch me in the mouth'.
The other half of the honeymooning couple said: 'I am, honestly!'
Noah previously confirmed that the pair don't share their finances after they were asked whether they have a shared bank account.
'She earns her money, I earn mine,' said Noah, as Venezuela joked: 'Yeah, what you gonna do about it.'
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'.
Meanwhile Venezuela is being eyed up by executives for a fly on the wall TV series.
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'
Boasting 1.3 million TikTok followers, Venezuela is already entertaining fans with her honest musings and candid moments, from cooking to kitting out her and Noah's static caravan home.
And following the success of the Netflix series At Home With The Furys, it is no wonder bosses are wanting to draw on the Fury popularity.
A TV insider said: 'The couple are not A-list celebrities but everyone has become obsessed with their love story.
'People are genuinely intrigued by them. Whether it’s the fact they have married so young, Venezuela’s famous family or their gypsy lifestyle, they have the ‘X factor'.
'Several TV executives think a proper fly-on-the-wall series following their lives as newlyweds in the gypsy community would be fascinating,' they told The Sun.
It is thought Netflix would be likely to produce the series due to their already established relationship with the Furys.
Venezuela's representatives told The Daily Mail: 'We have many offers on the table regarding Venezuela which we are discussing.'
