A first look at whether the new Vargas tragedy could have been averted

The Devil's Excrement (Venezuela) ^ | Feb. 13, 2005 | Miguel Octavio

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Introduction

During the last week, the weather in Venezuela has been extremely atypical with rainfall establishing records and flash floods killing over one hundred people while thousands have lost their homes. This is obviously an abnormal natural phenomenon and nobody can be blamed for it. However, the case of Vargas state, a densely populated and small state north of Caracas, is very particular, because that state was the victim of an even larger tragedy in December 99, when tens of thousands were killed due to generalized mudslides.

That tragedy was like nothing Venezuela had ever seen in its history, coinciding the peak of the mudslides with the referendum ratifying the new Bolivarian Constitution proposed by Hugo Chavez. After the tragedy, Chavez created the “Unique Authority for the Reconstruction of Vargas State” which was presided by Carlos Genatios who had been Minister of Science and Minister of Infrastructure. That authority was put in charge of developing the plans for the reconstruction of the state, obtaining the funds and coordinating the effort to insure that appropriate canalization would be built to avoid a similar event.

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A very good analysis of how Hugo Chavez's neglect and mismanagement magnified the number of flood deaths this past week in Venezuela. It's full of detail and fascinating reading.