The Daily Journal. — Maritime commercial activity in La Guaira is approaching a full restart after the structural damage that the June earthquakes caused. Eduardo Quintana, coordinator of Fedecámaras La Guaira, said reconstruction work at the Central Coast’s main port has made significant progress in critical loading and unloading areas.
During an interview on the program Venezuela Productiva, the business representative explained that the technical upgrades have brought the restoration of cargo traffic within reach.
“Port operations will resume soon. Crews have already repaired the cranes, and the loading platform is practically operational,” Quintana said.
Vessel arrivals and berthing capacity
Port authorities are restoring operations in phases based on vessel size. Piers 26 and 27 already receive smaller cargo ships.
According to Quintana, the international shipping industry continues to show interest in the Venezuelan market despite the recent emergency.
“Deep-draft vessels are already requesting berths to dock. I believe the situation is moving toward reactivation,” he said.
Skilled labor shortage and training plans
Although workers have restored much of the port’s physical infrastructure, the private sector now faces a logistical bottleneck due to the loss of a significant portion of its skilled workforce. Quintana emphasized that the port’s most immediate challenge involves training the new personnel who will take over operations after the heavy human losses that affected every sector of the regional economy.
To address this shortage of qualified workers, Fedecámaras La Guaira has developed a joint agenda with several educational institutions across the region to accelerate port training and certification programs.
Quintana concluded by highlighting the community’s resilience as the driving force behind the region’s economic recovery.
“The state will recover thanks to the resilience of the people who remain here. They do not want to leave. The workforce that stayed will help rebuild La Guaira. The people of La Guaira have not lost their deep connection to this land.”
