International rescue teams and aid flood Venezuela after deadly twin earthquakes
Venezuela's government and civil-protection units are searching for survivors while dozens of countries dispatch rescue personnel and humanitarian assistance following two powerful quakes.
Rescue crews in Venezuela are using specialized equipment, including percussion tools for controlled concrete breaking, to locate people trapped under rubble after twin earthquakes struck on Wednesday, a public-works official said. The sectoral vice president of public works, Juan José Ramírez, urged volunteers to step back and let trained civil-protection teams operate, noting that the priority is to save lives and restore basic services such as water and communications.
Human-rights groups have called for the government to lift online censorship and allow political prisoners to contact their families. Human Rights Watch, the Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center and Amnesty International all requested transparent information on detainees and access to detention facilities.
The United States announced a $150 million aid package and deployed elite rescue teams, medical resources and the amphibious transport ship USS Fort Lauderdale. The State Department said the aid will be coordinated with other international partners. The United Nations is organizing urban search-and-rescue teams, while neighboring Colombia, El Salvador, Spain, Chile, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Mexico, France, Japan, China, the European Union, the Czech Republic, Iran and several other nations have sent personnel, equipment, medical supplies or humanitarian cargo.
U.S. Southern Command has placed Major General Kevin J. Jarrard in charge of coordinating the flow of rescue teams and aid into the hardest-hit areas. The U.S. Treasury issued a temporary license allowing all transactions related to earthquake relief through October.
Local officials, including acting president Delcy Rodríguez, have appealed for national unity and calm as the response continues. Volunteers and NGOs such as Project HOPE and Peace Winds Japan are also assisting with search-and-rescue operations and relief distribution.
Residents in Caracas and coastal cities reported power outages, blocked roads and crowded streets as families sought shelter. Some described the damage as comparable to a war zone, and many remain uncertain about the number of casualties.
"Many times, volunteers trying to help can actually make things worse," Ramírez said. "I ask that we act in national unity and with calm, knowing that together we will overcome this tragedy," Rodríguez said. "We reiterate our call for the immediate release of all political prisoners," the Kennedy Center statement read. "The truth is, we honestly don’t know how many are dead," volunteer Edwin Borges told CNN.
The international response underscores the scale of the disaster and the challenges faced by Venezuelan authorities in coordinating rescue and relief efforts.
