President Donald Trump said late Wednesday that two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela had caused what he described as “a devastating number of deaths” as officials continued assessing the extent of the disaster.
Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez later said at least 164 people were killed and more than 971 were injured in the earthquakes.
Trump’s comments came after back-to-back earthquakes rocked Venezuela earlier Wednesday, causing widespread damage, including in the capital of Caracas, where buildings were damaged, and rescue crews searched through rubble.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said the pair of “massive” earthquakes had caused widespread devastation.
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“The two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths,” Trump wrote.
Trump said the United States was prepared to assist with the ongoing response.
“The U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help!” Trump said. “I have instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly. We will be there for our new and great friends.”
Trump added that early reports from Venezuela were “not good.”
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According to the U.S. Geological Survey, an initial magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck at 6:04 p.m. ET, with its epicenter about 15 miles east-northeast of San Felipe.
Just 39 seconds later, a magnitude 7.5 quake struck with its epicenter about 14 miles southeast of Yumare.
“High casualties and extensive damage are probable, and the disaster is likely widespread,” the USGS said in a rare red alert statement.
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Officials said the earthquakes were among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century.
Rodríguez declared a state of emergency Wednesday after the earthquakes, which were followed by nearly two dozen aftershocks.
In a televised address later that day, Rodríguez urged Venezuelans to remain calm.
“We urge our population to remain calm,” Rodríguez said. “We urge unity.”
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On Thursday, Rodríguez announced that at least 164 people had been killed and 971 others injured in the earthquakes.
“We urge our population to remain calm,” Rodríguez said. “We urge unity.”
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote on X that American officials were in contact with Venezuelan authorities and working to deliver assistance to the South American nation.
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“The U.S. stands with the Venezuelan people in the aftermath of this evening’s devastating earthquakes,” he wrote. “We’re in touch with the authorities and mobilizing assistance.”
The State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs said it was tracking developments following the powerful earthquakes.
“The U.S. Government is closely monitoring the aftermath of a large earthquake in Venezuela,” the bureau said in a statement.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also detailed to reporters Thursday multiple specific ways the U.S. is providing support.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the victims and are committed to supporting the people of Venezuela during this difficult time,” the statement continued.
“We’re already deploying a search and rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia and Los Angeles. There will be some others we’ll add. That’s their most immediate need right now, is search and rescue efforts. They have much of collapsed buildings. And so they’ll need a lot of help in terms of digging through that. The airport there is badly damaged, so we’ll have to rely on the Department of War to deploy assets there. And then we’re also helping them with some overhead imagery, especially in coastal areas where they don’t have full visibility over what the damage has been and what the impact has been,” he said while speaking to reporters in Bahrain.
Rubio also revealed that a number of other countries have reached out to the U.S. to offer support to Venezuela, including Qatar, El Salvador, Chile and others.
“We’ll also have to manage what we expect is gonna be a surge in private donations. I can imagine that there’s going to be a lot of people from the United States and entities in the United States, we’ve already been in touch with some of the leading charities, but I know at the local level, particularly in places like where I call home in south Florida there’ll be a lot of people that are gonna want to step forward and help and provide assistance and we just need to find the way that we can step in and provide logistical support from that,” Rubio also said.
Rubio further revealed the the Department of War will play a major role in delivering aid because of the Department’s ability to land aircraft in unconventional places considering the earthquake significantly damaged the airport in Venezuela’s capital Caracas.
The bureau also urged U.S. citizens in Venezuela to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) and monitor embassy updates.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
