US and Latin American nations send aid after deadly Venezuela quakes

The United States, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic moved to send rescue teams and humanitarian aid to Caracas after twin earthquakes struck northern Venezuela and left at least 32 people dead and about 700 injured. The rapid offers, coming within hours of the disaster, put neighboring governments at the center of the emergency response as crews searched collapsed buildings in the capital and nearby areas.

The quakes hit on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, less than a minute apart, with preliminary magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5. The U.S. Geological Survey said the second quake was the largest to hit Venezuela since 1900 and warned that high casualties and widespread damage were probable. Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, said the toll included at least 32 deaths and roughly 700 injuries, while authorities cautioned that the numbers could rise as rescuers reached more damaged sites.

The worst damage appeared to be concentrated around Caracas and La Guaira state, where municipal police and emergency crews were seen digging through rubble and checking damaged buildings. The response on the ground reflected the scale of the shock: rescue workers moved through debris in the capital while officials tried to account for people trapped or missing in the hardest-hit neighborhoods.

Washington said it was in touch with Venezuelan authorities and was mobilizing assistance that would include search-and-rescue teams, medical resources and humanitarian aid. The aid offer from the United States, together with pledges from El Salvador and the Dominican Republic, added an immediate regional dimension to the relief effort. Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil and Chile also offered support and sympathy, signaling a wider diplomatic response from across Latin America.

Venezuela’s government said it was receiving or preparing humanitarian and rescue assistance from China, Brazil and Qatar as well. The range of countries stepping in, from nearby Latin American governments to partners farther abroad, pointed to the international stakes of a disaster that struck just outside Caracas and quickly became one of the country’s deadliest and most damaging earthquakes in more than a century.