Nearly 2,000 US soldiers search for survivors of Venezuela earthquakes
The administration headed by Donald Trump designated nearly 2,000 soldiers to travel to Venezuela and support rescue efforts for victims.
Eight days after two earthquakes of magnitude greater than seven degrees destroyed hundreds of properties in Venezuela, causing the death of more than 2,200 people and the disappearance of thousands of citizens, nearly 2,000 US soldiers are searching for survivors in the rubble and trying to help restore damaged services.
During a press conference, General Francis Donovan, commander of the US Army's Southern Command, referred to the human support provided to the South American nation in disgrace.
"The US Army, through the War Department, has approximately 2,000 troops deployed on land, sea and air around Venezuela. They work hard daily to collaborate in search and rescue efforts, as well as in the recovery and delivery of necessary supplies.
"In these situations, you have between three and seven days to respond in the hope of rescuing people who are still alive and who may be injured in the rubble," he said.
Among the equipment deployed by the US armed forces in the areas affected by the earthquakes is a specialized medical unit to provide surgical support, a water purification system, a mobile drinking water container and a military-grade crane.
According to John Barrett, chargé d'affaires of the United States Embassy in Caracas, the administration headed by Donald Trump allocated more than $300 million in humanitarian aid to deal with the disaster caused by nature.
“We will continue working with the Venezuelan people to meet these needs, including sanitation, water and energy generation, and we will continue on that path as long as necessary,” he said on social networks.
In a first official report released by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the estimate of damage caused by the earthquakes recorded on June 24, 2026 in northern Venezuela is around $37 billion, which represents a hard blow for an economy mired in a deep crisis for more than a decade.
Given the delicate situation that prevails in Venezuela, several civil society groups asked Delcy Rodríguez, president of the Bolivarian Republic, to repeal the so-called “Anti-NGO Law”, this with the objective of “facilitating not only humanitarian aid but the establishment of humanitarian organizations in the country.”