00:00In Venezuela, building inspections are taking place following the double earthquake with Comuna Cooperation.
00:05To tell us more about this process, we have our correspondent, Belen de los Santos, with more information.
00:16Hello, studios. How are you? I'm coming to you from Caracas, west of Caracas, actually.
00:21We're at the Catedral Parish, and we are about to go through a whole process in which the experts,
00:29that have to do with the inspectioning of the buildings that have been affected by the double earthquakes,
00:36are about to gather right here at one of the government sites of the parish
00:41and go around different buildings that they have assigned to inspect today
00:45to determine what is the structural damage and be able to give an answer to the neighbors
00:53who are, of course, awaiting for that inspection.
00:56So we were talking to those responsible for this work that is being done right now,
01:03and it's very interesting to understand how this process is being led together with the communal power,
01:11together with the communal structure that is characteristic of the Venezuelan state.
01:17So just to keep in mind, in this parish there are three communes.
01:20Those communes were the ones responsible for gathering the reports of the neighbors
01:26who have seen different types of damages after the twin earthquakes of June 24th.
01:32Of course, because of the emotional impact of the earthquakes,
01:36these damages means that the people are evaluating what they see with their own eyes,
01:42and some are reporting a cracked wall, for example, some are reporting a cracked window,
01:48some are reporting what they seem or they think may be structural damage to the foundations of the buildings.
01:57So the communes are gathering those reports with images that those communes are translating it to the main site for
02:05the parish.
02:06They are gathering all the reports, and with a system of priorities that evaluates those photographs,
02:13those reports from the neighbors, they are going around every day to check to do a first inspection of those
02:20buildings.
02:21After doing the first inspection, they identify if the building, if the structure is labeled as green, yellow or red.
02:30That is the system, the color-coded system they are using.
02:34Green means that the building is practically unaffected.
02:38Yellow means that the foundations, the structure of the building has not been affected.
02:45It has no risk of collapse, but there are affections to the walls, for example, to windows and doors.
02:53So it needs reparation, but has no risk of collapse.
02:57And red means that there is structural damage that needs to be repaired before that building can be used again
03:06for living,
03:08for the people who usually live in that building.
03:12So that is what they're saying.
03:13They were telling me that in this parish in particular, for example, out of 25 entire buildings inspected,
03:2020 were green, 4 were yellow, and just one of them is red.
03:27When it's red, it doesn't mean that it's going to collapse or that it needs to be demolished.
03:32It just means that it needs to be further infected for critical reparations.
03:38Some of them will be saved and some of them will be demolished in order to use that terrain for
03:44other space
03:45because it is considered that the structural damage is just too far.
03:50All of this is being done also with the emotional support and constant communication with the people, of course,
03:57with the extent that this magnitude earthquake demands.
04:01So we have seen, as we are here, people coming and going and talking to the representatives saying,
04:07well, our building, we have this pictures.
04:09When are you coming?
04:10And they are saying, OK, we went there.
04:12Look at this picture.
04:13This is what this damage means.
04:15We are going through this week.
04:16So they're also providing the reassurance for the neighbors to know what their situation is
04:23and when they will be reached out by the teams.
04:27This is all in coordination between the different areas of the state.
04:32All of this is part alongside with the reparations that are also underway.
04:37They are actually charging and unloading some material for construction as we speak just beside me.
04:44All of this is part of the Venezuela Renace mission.
04:49The mission that entails the entire organization for the inspection, rebuilding
04:56and at the end guaranteeing that every Venezuelan has a place to live after the double earthquakes of June 24th.
05:04So that is all from Caracas just now, but we'll be going with these teams to do these inspections.
05:11So we'll have more soon.
05:12I go back to you now.
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