A 4.9 magnitude earthquake rattled Caracas and the surrounding area early this morning, jolting Venezuelans out of bed. According to FUNVISIS, the Venezuelan seismic authority, the earthquake’s epicenter was located just northeast of Valencia in Carabobo state, at a depth of 9.4 kilometers.
As of the writing of this update, there are no reports of any casualties.
Colombia’s Servicio Geologico [Geological Survey] initially measured the quake at a magnitude of 6.1, but later revised its measurement to 5.0. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at 5.6 in the Richter scale, but revised it to 5.0 later in the day.
The earthquake was felt at approximately 4:45 AM, along with an aftershock approximately one hour later.
Below, security camera footage of the earthquake as it was felt in Naguanagua, near the epicenter:
Another security camera shot from Valencia:
The earthquake was strong enough to cause what appears to be light to moderate structural damage to some buildings. The images below show the damage suffered by the Hotel Hesperia in Valencia:
A Carabobo Civil Protection worker inspects a damaged building:
Residents of a building in Naguanagua show the damage there in the video below:
NGO: Homicide Rate Drops Due to Migration, “Extermination” of Criminals
The Observatorio Venezolano de Violencia [Venezuelan Violence Watch] (OVV) released its yearly homicide report today, which measures the number of violent deaths in the country each year.
According to the OVV, there were 23,047 homicides in 2018, placing the country’s murder rate at 81.4 per 100,000. That figure is lower than last year, which saw the rate hit 89. Despite the drop, the 2018 murder rate ranks Venezuela among one of the most dangerous countries in the world.
Roberto Briceño León, the head of the OVV, hypothesized that the drop in the homicide rate is likely the result of both the Venezuelan exodus as well as the Maduro regime’s ruthless “extermination” of people suspected of being criminals.
It is important to point out that the OVV report measures both homicides that are “recognized by the authorities” as well as deaths that are “still being investigated”. Out of the 23,047 homicides registered by the OVV, 10,422 involved civilian perpetrators, 7,523 involved victims who “resisted authorities”, and 5,102 are still being investigated.
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In Venezuela 
Error….la rata de homicidios es por cada 100,000 habitantes, no “per capita”
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