The commander of the United States Southern Command, General Francis L. Donovan, visited Venezuela this Monday to coordinate humanitarian assistance actions and reconstruction work after the earthquakes that shook the country on June 24, an emergency that has left thousands dead, injured and displaced.

During his stay, Donovan held meetings with the president in charge of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, as well as with members of the Venezuelan cabinet to review rescue efforts, aid distribution and cooperation mechanisms between both governments.

According to information broadcast by Venezuelan state television, both delegations analyzed a new cooperation agenda focused on the recovery of critical infrastructure, especially in the state of La Guaira, one of the areas most affected by the earthquakes.

The US delegation was also made up of the Chargé d'Affaires of the US Embassy in Caracas, John M. Barrett, and Major General Kevin Jarrard, responsible for supervising the rescue operations carried out by the US forces deployed in Venezuelan territory.

On behalf of Venezuela, among other officials, the Minister of the Interior, Diosdado Cabello; the Minister of Defense, Gustavo González; the vice chancellor for Europe and North America, Oliver Blanco, and the head of the Venezuelan diplomatic mission in Washington, Félix Plasencia.

Large deployment of US aid

The Southern Command reported that Donovan also inspected on the ground the search, rescue and distribution of humanitarian assistance operations carried out by the US military in coordination with the State Department. According to Washington, around 2,000 troops from different branches of the Armed Forces are participating in the mission, considered one of the largest US humanitarian operations in Venezuela in several decades.

Among the units deployed are elements of the 3rd Battalion of the 2nd Marine Regiment, integrated into the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, as well as the Joint Task Force-Bravo, specialized in response to natural disasters.

The amphibious ship USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28), which arrived at the port of La Guaira on June 27, functions as a logistics center for the storage and distribution of food, drinking water, medicines and other supplies destined for affected communities.

More than 300 American urban search and rescue specialists from teams in Miami-Dade, the city of Miami, Los Angeles and Fairfax County also joined the operation. The US authorities indicated that the financial assistance committed to address the emergency exceeds 300 million dollars.

Bilateral cooperation in the midst of the emergency

Donovan's visit occurs in a context of rapprochement between Washington and Caracas after the reestablishment of diplomatic relations in early 2026 and the formation of the interim government headed by Rodríguez.

According to the Venezuelan president's office, the meetings also served to coordinate rescue operations, humanitarian assistance and logistics, in addition to reviewing projects for the reconstruction of infrastructure damaged by the earthquakes. Rodríguez recently reported that his administration is holding talks with the State Department, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank to obtain economic resources, technical cooperation and financing lines aimed at the country's recovery.

The emergency was caused by two earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 recorded just seconds apart on June 24. The updated official balance puts the tragedy at 3,535 dead, 16,740 injured and 17,854 people who lost their homes. In addition, authorities report 856 buildings affected, of which 190 completely collapsed, while search, assistance and reconstruction efforts continue in the hardest hit regions.