LA GUAIRA - Delayed orders from senior military commanders, a lack of basic equipment and overall confusion were among the issues that hindered the deployment of Venezuelan troops in the crucial first days after two devastating earthquakes struck the country’s coast in June, eight sources familiar with the response told Reuters, amid public outrage over the government’s response to the disaster.

The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes killed about 5,000 people, according to the government, though experts including the United States Geological Survey have predicted a likelihood of a final death toll of nearly double that figure.

The disaster was especially devastating in La Guaira state, home to the country’s main airport, a major port and hundreds of high-rise residential buildings that collapsed either fully or partially.

Acting President Delcy Rodriguez, who is backed by US President Donald Trump, has defended the government’s response amid criticism that military personnel and other officials arrived late and have done little to help victims of the quake, including people who were trapped in the rubble.

Though Rodriguez said 4,000 officials were deployed immediately, military personnel and police were scarcely visible during the first hours after the quake, according to residents, Reuters witnesses and several sources with knowledge of the matter.

Civilians spearheaded much of the response, especially during the first two days, bringing aid like food and using rudimentary tools to pull both the living and the dead from the rubble. They were eventually joined by international rescue teams, firefighters, civil protection officials and a limited number of Venezuelan soldiers, who told Reuters they volunteered for the often-gruesome work rather than being directly ordered to.

The limited presence of security forces was due to delays in deployment orders, uncertainty over who was responsible for co...