Stunned by last month’s catastrophic mudslides and floods, Venezuela is scrambling to identify the part man played in the disaster—and how to avoid more such tragedies. Fourteen days of unseasonable rains at what should have been the start of the dry season sent torrents of mud, trees and boulders raging down from the Avila mountain north of Caracas upon the coastal towns of Vargas state. Some 20,000 people are feared dead, and the private Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Production (Fedecamaras) estimates $10 billion in material damage. At the country’s main port, La Guaira, hundreds of containers were swept out to sea, some believed to be holding highly toxic materials. The port itself sustained heavy damage and will be paralyzed for weeks perhaps... [Log in to read more]