Trump Administration Expands Venezuela Earthquake Relief After June 24 Quakes

Two back-to-back earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24, devastating Caracas and the nearby city of La Guaira and leaving buildings, utilities, roads and communications systems severely damaged.

“Volunteers to 'drop everything' for Venezuela aid A number of volunteers from Cornwall are expected to provide emergency relief in Venezuela following the country's devastating double earthquake”

BBC

The Washington Post reports that the Trump administration says its response to last week’s earthquakes is the largest disaster relief effort in recent years, with State Department foreign aid bureau senior official Jeremy Lewin saying the $300 million figure the United States had already pledged would grow.

BBC

Reuters and other coverage in the same reporting stream put the death toll at least 1,700, while the International Rescue Committee says more than 1,700 confirmed fatalities and over 5,000 injuries have been reported.

In the immediate aftermath, the U.S. military continued arriving in Venezuela at the direction of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), including six U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster cargo aircraft arriving Monday carrying a U.S. Marine Combat Logistics Company.

The International Medical Corps said a 7.2-magnitude tremblor was followed less than a minute later by a 7.5 magnitude quake, described as the strongest to hit the country since 1900.

As rescue efforts continued nearly a week after the quakes, Truthout quotes Beatriz Ochoa, Latin America head of advocacy for the Norwegian Refugee Council, saying, “we’re seeing also a lot of solidarity from the Venezuelan people.”

Ochoa also described the need to shift from rescue to longer-term solutions, saying, “We will need to transition to more medium- and longer-term solutions, so that people can have affordable housing.”

DW

In parallel, Latin Times reports that opposition leader María Corina Machado said the Delcy Rodríguez-led government was trying to keep her out by closing the country's airspace, quoting Machado: “The regime closed our country's airspace to try to prevent it.”

Machado said she was in Panama City and planned to travel to Venezuela to join emergency and reconstruction efforts, and she framed her return as personal and civic obligation, quoting: “I want to return to Venezuela to accompany all of us in these heartbreaking hours.”

France 24’s Philip Turle described a shift from shock to anger, saying frustration is rising across Venezuela over a lack of government help in areas struck by the deadly twin earthquakes last week.

The Washington Post says the U.S. response is measured in “personnel on the ground, money out the door [and] speed,” and it ties the effort to the scale and pace of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

“Live: Follow the latest on the tragedy in Venezuela”

El Mundo

DW reports that the death toll has risen to more than 1,700 and that rescuers say the window for finding survivors is closing, while also noting the UN will provide Venezuela with 10,000 body bags.

DW also reports that the U.S. increased its aid commitment to $300 million, and it says much of the funds will be directed towards partner organizations including the World Food Program and the Red Cross.

International Rescue Committee says the earthquakes worsened an existing humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, with “more than 750 buildings have collapsed” and the national water system failing across seven states.

El Mundo reports that crowds booed acting Venezuelan president Delcy Rodríguez, chanting 'Out! Out!' as she visited a heavily affected neighborhood, while the death toll rose to 1,719 on Monday and tens of thousands were still missing.