‘You need to be brave’: Venezuela’s ‘moles’ search for earthquake victims

The Guardian UK Monday 06 July 2026, 12:30 UTC By Tom Phillips and Clavel Rangel in Caraballeda 1 min read

Key Points

Volunteer force flocks to devastated region, infiltrating collapsed buildings with little more than hand toolsAs the sun rose above Venezuela’s shattered northern coast, a motorbike mechanic nicknamed Culebrita (Little Snake) lowered himself into a chaotic mesh of concrete and steel and began crawling towards his objective. “I’m not afraid – but you need to be brave to do this,” said Darwin Rodríguez, a slender 32-year-old who earned the serpentine moniker because of his ability to slither...

Volunteer force flocks to devastated region, infiltrating collapsed buildings with little more than hand tools

As the sun rose above Venezuela’s shattered northern coast, a motorbike mechanic nicknamed Culebrita (Little Snake) lowered himself into a chaotic mesh of concrete and steel and began crawling towards his objective.

“I’m not afraid – but you need to be brave to do this,” said Darwin Rodríguez, a slender 32-year-old who earned the serpentine moniker because of his ability to slither in and out of minuscule spaces.

Venezuela (LOCATION) Culebrita (Little Snake (ORG) Darwin Rodríguez (PERSON)

Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

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‘You need to be brave’: Venezuela’s ‘moles’ search for earthquake victims

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