After the earthquakes in Venezuela, the fear of losing one's damaged home

The young woman lived with her husband and their four-year-old son on the second floor of this house in the La Lucha neighborhood of Catia la Mar, in the state of La Guaira, the most severely affected.

Her father lived on the ground floor and the house is now empty. "I still think it's a nightmare. I would like to rebuild my house. I grew up here and I don't want to lose it," says Morela Luna, a 23-year-old geography student, who sleeps at night at her partner's grandmother's house.

Engineers and architects classify the dwellings in this modest neighborhood, made up of self-built houses: those that can be inhabited without risk (a green label will be affixed), those that require repairs (yellow label) and those that must be evacuated due to danger (red label).

Morela Luna's house seems to fall into this latter category and should receive a red label.

Conversely, 65-year-old Juana Alfonzo still lives in her home, even though the ground, cracked in places, has subsided and load-bearing columns are damaged. However, she and her five family members prefer to sleep in the courtyard, under tents, for fear of further tremors and that their house will eventually collapse.

But Juana Alfonzo remains hopeful and believes her house will not be demolished.

"There are people who are crying a lot because, obviously, it's a total loss. So many years building the houses only for them to disappear in 39 seconds," she said, referring to the interval between the two earthquakes, which measured 7,2 and 7,5 in magnitude.

She is still unaware that the engineers and architects have concluded that her house is no longer habitable in its current state, as several load-bearing beams are compromised. The news will be delivered to her by government representatives who will come to affix the red label to her facade.

"Nobody will want to leave"

The small open spaces in the La Lucha neighborhood are covered with tents where families wait for their homes to be repaired with government assistance.

Here and there rubble is being removed, but no work has been undertaken anywhere.

In the state of La Guaira, many remember the 1999 mudslide that killed thousands and left tens of thousands homeless, some of whom spent years in shelters.

Gustavo, a 60-year-old mechanic who does not wish to give his last name, is worried. "Nobody will want to leave here," he says.

According to official figures, 190 buildings and homes have completely collapsed and another 856 have been damaged by the earthquakes. But according to NASA satellite studies, this figure could rise to 58.000 nationwide.

6.000 inspections

In Los Palos Grandes, one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Caracas where the damage was the most significant, three neighbors look with discouragement at the red sign affixed to their building.

"Who did this inspection, and what training did they have?" protests one woman, furious. "I've lived here for 40 years, I don't want it demolished," adds another.

A Presidential Commission on Habitability organizes training for engineers and architects responsible for carrying out inspections.

Its president, Francisco Garcés, who is also the Minister of Transport, estimates that approximately 6.000 assessments have already been carried out. "The repair and rehabilitation phases" will come next, he explained to AFP.

"New housing is already under construction, some is already being completed, others are being reinforced, all to provide an immediate solution to those who find themselves in a situation of total loss," he says.

"Only heritage"

The mayor of Chacao, Gustavo Duque, is urging caution in interpreting the red label. "This does not necessarily imply demolition, but the building must undergo a thorough technical examination to determine if it can be repaired. Most residents have their apartments as their only assets," he told AFP.

In his municipality, which includes Los Palos Grandes, three residential buildings have completely collapsed. Out of 3.100 buildings, a thousand have been inspected and 25 are classified as high risk.

The danger is real: in Caracas, part of a school in the historic center, bearing the red label, collapsed on July 3. No one was injured because it was empty.