Outrage as damning video shows Venezuelan official 'sabotaging American aid' in aftermath of twin earthquakes that killed 1,450

By EMMA RICHTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 16:56, 29 June 2026 | Updated: 16:57, 29 June 2026 A Venezuelan official has sparked outrage after a video appeared to show him attempting to block American aid from getting to people affected by the disastrous earthquakes.  A 7.2 magnitude quake first hit the South American country on Wednesday evening, followed by a 7.5 magnitude tremor just 39 seconds later.  The terrifying natural disaster, which is commonly referred to as twin or 'doublet' earthquakes, has already claimed at least 1,450 lives, left some 1,500 injured, and tens of thousands missing.  In the aftermath of the back-to-back quakes, humanitarian aid from other countries, including the US, has arrived to try and help the reeling community.  But a startling video circulating online showed Diosdado Cabello, a local politician and alleged drug lord, seemingly sabotaging America's efforts to help out.  The clip, which was shared by Florida Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart on X on Monday morning, showed Cabello arguing with an American rescue team in La Guaira.  'Back up. Back to the truck. Back to the truck,' Cabello, who donned a neon orange baseball hat, told the group as he pointed at the vehicle.  A rescuer then replied: 'You don't want us to help anyone else?' as another man in a navy blue hat shook his head.  Diosdado Cabello, a local Venezuelan politician, was seen in a heated conversation with US aid workers who were trying to rescue people after the double earthquake on Wednesday The American man and others tried to tell Cabello that they needed to go help people, but it appeared that the Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace didn't want it Another American then appeared to show Cabello something on a phone, leaving the politician to shove the device away.  He continued to argue with the group, as the initial rescuer, a bald white man with a goatee, then cut Cabello off, stating: 'There's someone right over there we're trying to help!'  Cabello seemingly kept disputing the American man's efforts, as the rescuer asked: 'You don't want us to help the person over there?'  Another US man then exchanged words with the leader as a massive group of spectators watched the confrontation unfold.  The Daily Mail contacted Cabello's office for comment.   Online users quickly reacted to the apparent spat, with many of them shaming Cabello for seemingly blocking help for his people.  'Delcy Rodríguez, Diosdado Cabello, and the rest of their cronies should know that the United States is monitoring this situation very closely, and they had better not interfere with or sabotage these humanitarian relief efforts,' Diaz-Balart said.  'Horrible,' another person commented.  A US Marine is seen rescuing people trapped under the rubble after the double earthquakes in Venezuela Someone else wrote: 'There is no time for monitoring, a unified authority named by US should lead all efforts.'  'Take them out. It’s time to make Venezuela part of the US,' said another.   'They have been, and continue to sabotage rescue efforts,' someone else posted.  'They are just getting in the way can’t we just extradite them like their fearless leader,' said another person who referred to the January capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.  Maduro is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, after he and his wife, First Lady Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking, money laundering, and corruption charges.  Delcy Rodríguez has stepped in as the acting and interim president of Venezuela.  Cabello has served as the Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace since 2024. He is in charge of the country's internal security, which includes commanding the police, intelligence services, the prison system, and the armed militias, known as colectivos.  Strong aftershocks hit Venezuela following the disastrous quakes as rescuers continue to search for civilians.  The aftershock was felt shortly after 7.00am in Caracas and La Guaira on Monday.  Some 774 buildings were badly damaged in the quakes that struck, including 189 buildings that have totally collapsed It comes as a mother and her nine-month-old baby were rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building in northern Venezuela. Virginia Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1 said the mother and baby were 'deeply entombed' in the collapsed structure, but were found alive with only minor injuries. Virginia Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1 shared a video of its members and local firefighters pulling the woman from the wreckage, with neighbors heard enthusiastically cheering as she was removed from the rubble. 'This is our why… the delivery of hope,' the team wrote. A second video, published by the US State Department, showed a baby being extracted from the rubble by a team of rescuers. The baby was wrapped in a blue blanket and could be heard crying. Hopes were fading Monday of finding survivors, as residents grow increasingly frustrated with the government's response to the disaster. US soldiers patrol the streets in Caraballeda, La Guaira State, on Monday morning Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured by the US in January. Delcy Rodríguez has stepped in as the acting and interim president of Venezuela French and American rescue teams found a man and his teen son alive under the rubble on Sunday in Caraballeda, a town about 25 miles north of Caracas. The rescue offered a glimmer of hope in an ongoing tragedy that has shaken a country already mired in an economic crisis, but that hope dwindled as the critical 72-hour window for rescuing trapped victims passed. Millions more people were feared to lack sanitation and other basic needs after one of Latin America's most devastating earthquake disasters. Some 774 buildings were badly damaged in the quakes that struck, including 189 buildings that have totally collapsed, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said on Sunday. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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