Fifty miles away in the capital, Caracas, several organizations collected donations for survivors. Among them was the Leones professional baseball club, which asked fans to give goods such as food, water, clothes and baby formula.
Gómez added that his wife’s family had been affected by landslides that left more than 70,000 people homeless in 1999, so “I know what it feels like.”
Officials said more than 300 homes, 15 businesses and a school were destroyed in Las Tejerias, which is located along Venezuela’s main industrial corridor.
In a rare public appearance, President Nicolás Maduro visited the city and toured affected neighborhoods Monday.
The socialist leader said everyone affected by the disaster would be given new homes, adding that the city of 50,000 would “rise like a phoenix.”
“Nobody will be abandoned,” Maduro said.
Maduro told journalists he would welcome international assistance, without giving further details. His administration has historically been reluctant to take humanitarian aid from Western nations, though it has accepted food and medical supplies from Russia and China.
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