The crisis in Venezuela is drawing international support, including from China

Venezuela is in shock. La Guaira, which has been declared a “disaster area,” was the region hardest hit by the 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck Venezuela on the afternoon of June 24. 

This was stated by Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, when she declared a national state of emergency following the two violent earthquakes—measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale—that struck the northwest of the country. She has requested that doctors, nurses, and healthcare personnel be assigned to hospitals and health centers to treat the injured.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the largest earthquake, measuring 7.5, occurred at a depth of approximately 10 kilometers. Dozens of buildings have collapsed, and numerous search operations are underway to find survivors under the rubble, with requests for heavy machinery from the private sector to help locate trapped citizens.

There has also been extensive damage in the capital, Caracas, where firefighters and police are working in the affected areas.

Ecollapsed buildings, power outages, damage to infrastructure…

The first images from yesterday, just before dusk in Venezuela, showed collapsed buildings, power outages, and disruptions to basic services and key infrastructure, including the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía. The tremors were also felt in other countries in the region, such as Colombia and Brazil.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez provided a second preliminary assessment on Thursday, June 25, confirming at least 164 deaths and more than 970 people missing; by the end of the day, those figures had risen to at least 188 deaths and more than 1,500 people missing.

During a telephone interview with the state-run channel Venezolana de Televisión (VTV), Rodríguez underlined that it is a priority to focus search and rescue efforts on that region of the central coast, and reported that at least 30 replies in the last few hours. 

Meanwhile, the acting president reported that 10 buildings collapsed in the city of Caracas. To address the emergency in both locations, authorities ordered the immediate deployment and transfer of rescue workers and specialized personnel from other regions of the country.

Support from the United States and countries in the region

According to Venezuelan media and international news agencies, the first country to announce concrete aid measures was the United States. The State Department reported that it was in contact with Venezuelan authorities and had activated a disaster response team to coordinate the deployment of search-and-rescue teams, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid. 

In Europe, the European Union activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism following a formal request from Caracas. Within that framework, Spain, Italy, and the Czech Republic expressed their willingness to participate in relief and rescue efforts.

There have also been expressions of support in Latin America, for example, from Ecuador, Chile, and El Salvador. According to various reports, other countries in the region, including Mexico, Peru, and Bolivia, have also issued statements of solidarity and cooperation.

China's willingness to help, Russia's condolences 

Outside the Americas, China expressed its condolences to the Venezuelan people and stated that it is willing to provide “all the assistance it can,” in accordance with the needs identified by the authorities in Caracas, the BBC reported. The Chinese executive He also noted that he is in contact with his country's diplomatic mission in the country to monitor how the situation develops. 

Some reports indicate that Venezuelan authorities are awaiting the arrival of rescue workers and support personnel from the United States, Mexico, El Salvador, Qatar, and the Dominican Republic. This suggests that these countries have moved beyond statements of solidarity to preparing concrete operational assistance.

For his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a message to Venezuelan Interim President Delcy Rodríguez, expressing his condolences for the victims and his solidarity with the Venezuelan people in the wake of the earthquakes. However, it does not appear that any announcement of material aid has been made.

The Church is taking action

As expected, one of the first messages posted on social media was from Venezuelan Cardinal Baltazar Porras, who very quickly sent a “Message of Comfort and Hope.” “I lift up my prayers to the Most High for the protection of all families, especially those in the areas where the earthquake was felt most strongly or where property damage has been reported,” the cardinal said, among other things, on Instagram.

Immediately upon his return from a visit to the hardest-hit area, the Archbishop of Caracas, Monsignor Raúl Biord Castillo, reported that “many” parishes “have suffered serious structural damage,” in addition to the cathedral and about twelve churches that have been damaged, according to Vatican News.

“Many parishes have taken people in so they could spend the night on their premises. We have already set up a solidarity network through the parish Caritas organizations,» explained the Salesian prelate.

The archbishop of Caracas also emphasized that the death toll could have been much higher, but that “thank God it was a holiday. If it had been a weekday, with schools, offices, and stores open, the number of victims would have been much higher.”. 

Help from Pope Leo XIV

On the eve of the Consistory, the news was announced in the early afternoon of June 25. Leo XIV, through the Office of the Papal Almoner, has sent Initial aid to Venezuela, which has been hit by strong earthquakes. The amount allocated by the Pope currently stands at 100,000 euros, as agreed following discussions with the nuncio to Venezuela, Monsignor Alberto Ortega Martín, titular archbishop of Midila, and with the archbishop of Caracas, Monsignor Raúl Biord Castillo. 

La Guaira: No Electricity—Everyone Is Affected

In the Diocese of La Guaira, Bishop Pablo Modesto González Pérez has stated: “We are without electricity, and we have all been affected. Many walls have collapsed at the seminary.” Monsignor Pérez added that several churches have sustained significant damage.

This morning, Misiones Salesianas reported “devastation and a figure—still very preliminary and provisional—of the injured, deceased, and missing.” The Salesians of Venezuela, who, according to initial reports, have suffered only property damage at many of their locations, remain alongside the local population during this serious humanitarian emergency.

“We are doing what we have always done in times of crisis: opening our doors, standing by those who have lost everything, and bringing hope where fear has taken hold,” said Marco Mencaglia, project director at Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International.  

Spanish Bishops Stand in Solidarity with Venezuela's Suffering. Aid from Caritas

On behalf of the Spanish bishops, the president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, Bishop Luis Argüello sent his condolences yesterday to Bishop Jesús González de Zarate, president of the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference.

“We join you in spirit in your prayers for the eternal rest of the deceased, and we implore divine comfort for their families and a speedy recovery,” he emphasized in the letter sent to his Venezuelan counterpart.

At the same time, Spanish Caritas Caritas has allocated 300,000 euros to assist the victims of the earthquakes in Venezuela, according to a statement released around 7:00 p.m. yesterday.

Given the scale of the disaster caused by the two earthquakes, the statement says, Caritas Spain has launched an emergency campaign to respond to Caritas Venezuela’s request for support. 

It so happens that Cáritas Española has just completed training for 40 leaders as part of the Natural Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Project in La Guaira. 

For more information about the emergency campaign, please visit here 

the accounts set up for the emergency caused by the earthquakes.