Social control in ruins: Lessons from the 2026 Venezuela earthquake on rescue, resilience, and citizen helplessness

Abstract

This article analyzes, based on the seismic sequence that devastated north-central Venezuela in late June 2026, the operational dynamics and collapse of formal and informal social control in situations of disaster, rescue, protection of vulnerable populations, and institutional helplessness. Adopting an interdisciplinary framework that integrates criminology, criminal law, sociology, political science, and social work, it examines how Venezuelan citizens —shaped by a prolonged complex humanitarian crisis— independently assumed search, rescue, and life-support operations in the face of state response paralysis and militarization. The study delves into the main critical issues of the disaster: the denial of access and bureaucratic obstacles imposed on foreign humanitarian and rescue personnel; the total collapse of land communication routes and healthcare infrastructure; the protection crisis of unaccompanied and separated children; the systematic abandonment of the prison population in collapsed penitentiaries; and the severe psychosocial impact and lack of mental health care for community volunteer rescuers. Drawing upon key theoretical frameworks such as Ulrich Beck’s Risk Society, Giorgio Agamben’s State of Exception, Claus Roxin’s doctrine of the Duty of Care (Garante), and Travis Hirschi’s Social Bond Theory, the paper concludes that formal social control underwent a definitive functional failure, replaced by an organic system of informal social control rooted in neighborhood solidarity. Finally, it outlines policy recommendations aimed at rebuilding disaster management based on the recognition of dignity, the legal standing of community brigades, and the self-management of civil society.