Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 25
Venezuela Repurposes VenApp for Earthquake Rescue as Delcy Rodríguez Seeks Reports on 2 Damage Types
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 25

Venezuela Repurposes VenApp for Earthquake Rescue as Delcy Rodríguez Seeks Reports on 2 Damage Types

3 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 25

Summary

  • Venezuela turned VenApp into a search-and-rescue reporting tool after Wednesday’s devastating earthquakes, asking residents to flag missing people and damaged infrastructure through the app.
  • Delcy Rodríguez, serving as acting president, publicly urged people to use the platform to channel rescue information as authorities respond to the quake’s immediate aftermath.
  • VenApp had previously been used to report dissidents, giving the emergency shift added political sensitivity even as the government recasts it for disaster response.

Insights

Is Venezuela’s rescue app a humanitarian lifeline or a regime’s clever ploy for power and data?
Can a former state spy app be trusted for earthquake rescue, or is it a new kind of trap?