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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Tom Phillips and Clavel Rangel in Caraballeda. Photographs and video by Manu Quintero

Moles of Venezuela: the amateur rescuers digging and delving through the post-quake rubble

Large group of people in hard hats and hi-vis jackets walk around the rubble of a collapsed building
Venezuelan moles search for people’s missing relatives at the OPPE 26 in La Guaira on Friday. Photograph: Manu Quintero/Guardian

As the sun rose above Venezuela’s shattered northern coast, a motorbike mechanic nicknamed Culebrita (Little Snake) lowered himself into a chaotic mesh of concrete and steel and began crawling towards his objective.

“I’m not afraid – but you need to be brave to do this,” said Darwin Rodríguez, a slender 32-year-old who earned the serpentine moniker because of his ability to slither in and out of minuscule spaces.

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