CARACAS – Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello has sharply criticized Panama City Mayor Mayer Mizrachi after the mayor revealed that he placed electronic tracking devices inside humanitarian aid shipments sent to Venezuela following last month's devastating earthquakes.
Speaking at an event in La Guaira on Monday, Cabello described the measure as "vulgar" and "miserable," arguing that the use of GPS trackers suggested Venezuelan authorities could not be trusted to distribute aid intended for disaster victims.
"Do they really think that in Venezuela we are going to steal aid meant for the people?" Cabello said, adding that the tracking initiative was politically motivated rather than humanitarian. He also accused the mayor of trying to cast doubt on the country's disaster response.
The controversy began after Mizrachi publicly disclosed that his administration had hidden Apple AirTags inside various donated items—including boxes of diapers, bottled water and cleaning supplies—to monitor their destination. The mayor said the decision was made to ensure accountability to Panamanian citizens who donated the supplies and to verify that the aid reached the communities most affected by the June 24 earthquakes.
According to Mizrachi, the tracking system later indicated that at least one shipment had ended up in Maturín, in Venezuela's Monagas state, more than 500 kilometers from La Guaira, the region hardest hit by the earthquakes. He shared the information publicly, saying transparency was essential when managing humanitarian donations.
Cabello rejected the criticism and insisted that humanitarian assistance is being distributed under the supervision of Venezuelan authorities. He argued that critics were attempting to exploit a national tragedy for political gain and maintained that disaster relief efforts should focus on solidarity rather than political disputes.
Mizrachi later responded on social media, defending the decision to track the shipments. He said the GPS devices were not intended as an insult to Venezuela but as a way to provide accountability to donors and ensure that humanitarian assistance reached the intended recipients. He also questioned why aid tracked outside the disaster zone should not be subject to public scrutiny.
The exchange has sparked a broader debate over transparency in humanitarian operations. While tracking technology is increasingly used by governments and aid organizations to monitor relief shipments and strengthen accountability, Venezuelan officials argue that the public disclosure of the tracking data undermines confidence in the country's emergency response.