Venezuela Twin Earthquakes Death Toll Surpasses 1,700

Venezuelan officials have updated the death toll to exceed 1,700 fatalities from the magnitude‑7.2 and magnitude‑7.5 twin earthquakes that hit the nation’s coastal region last Wednesday, per the latest official report issued on Sunday.

The president of Parliament, Jorge Rodríguez, also reported that the earthquakes left 5,034 people injured, while 15,866 remain displaced and another 22,619 are receiving care in health centres. The most worrying figure, however, comes from the United Nations, which estimates that there could be up to 68,000 people missing.

La Guaira, epicentre of the disaster

The state of La Guaira endured the highest casualties and extensive damage, leading the government to declare a disaster zone and place the area under military control.

Five days after the disaster, search and rescue operations continue, with additional equipment being deployed and international teams arriving, though optimism about locating survivors beneath the debris is diminishing.

A recent illustration of this effort occurred Monday in Catia La Mar, where rescue teams from El Salvador, Mexico and Venezuela worked to free a 21‑year‑old man trapped in a collapsed building since the earthquake.

The twin quakes struck on June 24, with epicentres located between San Felipe and Yumare in northern Venezuela. The initial 7.2‑magnitude tremor was recorded at 18:04 local time, followed 39 seconds later by a 7.5‑magnitude event whose epicentre lay farther southeast, resulting in nearly three minutes of continuous shaking.

Aftershocks continue to register throughout the affected zone, including a 4.6‑magnitude tremor recorded in northern La Guaira.

International response and Venezuelan politics

The United States has sent aircraft, ships and helicopters to aid rescue operations, while the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) announced a multi‑donor fund of up to $200 million for the country’s reconstruction.

Confronted with criticism that the response had been insufficient and delayed, officials aggressively highlighted their recovery and rescue initiatives. Police and military personnel distributed cans of tuna and crackers to hungry displaced residents in La Guaira on Monday.

In a speech, Jorge Rodríguez, head of the Venezuelan National Assembly and brother of acting President Delcy Rodríguez, reported that electricity supply had been restored to 90 % of La Guaira’s hardest‑hit areas. He added that authorities are urgently assessing hazardous structures and have established 15 temporary displacement camps.

At the same time, opposition leader María Corina Machado—2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate—has signaled her intention to return to Venezuela soon to support the affected population.

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