Venezuela’s military response to the devastating June 24 earthquake was slowed by delayed deployment orders, poor coordination among senior officials and a lack of essential equipment, according to multiple sources cited by Reuters.Sources, including active and retired military officers, diplomatic officials and people with knowledge of the armed forces, said a lack of a clear disaster-response plan meant troops were not deployed quickly during the critical hours after the twin earthquakes struck the country’s coast.While Acting President Delsey Rodriguez said that 4,000 personnel were immediately deployed. Eyewitnesses and sources said civilians did most of the initial rescue work before international teams, firefighters and a limited number of soldiers arrived.Operations were further delayed due to confusion over the chain of command, with responsibility divided among several officers. Some military units were reportedly ready to deploy but never received orders, while others lacked transportation, helicopters, and even basic rescue equipment.“We don’t act on our own; we receive direct orders,” an active-duty officer told Reuters. “We had no plan… no plan to deal with something like this.”The officer said that after finally receiving the order, soldiers from his unit were sent to La Guerra just a day after the earthquake. “We were not going to go in without preparation or logistics because obviously no one is prepared for something like this,” the official said. “Troops should have been sent to Caracas to provide at least as much protection and assistance as they could.”One officer said the Marine infantry brigade was ready for deployment but never received instructions, while another said his unit lacked enough vehicles to transport personnel. Three other sources cited shortages of equipment, including hammers, hoes, and helicopters equipped with night vision capabilities.A diplomatic source also alleged that significant time was wasted due to delays in allocating search areas to international rescue teams during the first 48 hours.“There was no plan and the chain of command was weak; a lot of people didn’t know what to do,” the source said.Four sources also blamed overlapping authority for creating confusion over who was directing military and police operations between National Guard commander Juan Sulbaran Quintero, who was appointed to oversee the response, and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello.Multiple sources further told Reuters that years of economic crisis have reduced the military’s operational readiness, with limited budgets affecting maintenance, transportation and emergency response capabilities. A source also said that the earthquake struck on Army Day, when many personnel were off duty and no order for immediate withdrawal had been issued.More than 5,000 people died in earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on June 24, according to the government, although the U.S. Geological Survey has estimated the final death toll could be nearly double that figure.