Poverty, Social Inequality and Vulnerability to Disasters in Venezuela

The objective of this research is to propose the notion of poverty, social inequality and deprivation, as elements that cause vulnerability to disasters, demonstrating how the social construction of risk is directly related to national public policies of access to housing, jobs, and territorial ordering. This research based on a fieldwork data where information was obtained through the application of interviews, surveys and direct observation. These activities aimed at identifying risk scenarios as indicators of the poverty levels of the most unassisted sectors of the country. Providing reflections on the actions that enabled to have a suitably informed population, with resources for a dignified life, with responsible and efficient institutions, the study highlights these actions as the direction of any community. From this experience, it is concluded that the general idea of vulnerability to disasters is closely linked to the extreme poverty and significant economic and social inequality that exists in Venezuela.