28/06/2026 06:33 - Actualidad
On June 24, 2026magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck the country in what seismologists call a "seismic doublet" — two major quakes occurring in close succession.
For our international readers: Venezuela is a South American nation located on the northern coast of the continent, bordering Colombia, Brazil, and Guyana. The capital, Caracas, is home to approximately 3 million people. The epicenter was near San Felipe, Yaracuy state, about 200 km (124 miles) from Caracas.
According to Jorge Rodríguez, President of Venezuela's National Assembly, the provisional death toll stands at over 1,430 confirmed fatalities, 3,238 injured, and approximately 70,000 people reported missing.
Pope Leo XIV has personally donated €100,000 in humanitarian aid to Venezuela, expressing his closeness and solidarity with the Venezuelan people. The Pope is the spiritual leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics and heads the Vatican City State in Rome, Italy.
This gesture complements the rapid mobilization of Caritas Spain, the charitable arm of the Spanish Catholic Church, which has allocated €300,000 from its Emergency Program in response to Caritas Venezuela's request for support. Caritas is an international Catholic organization dedicated to charity and social justice, operating in over 200 countries worldwide.
"It is in moments like these that God's Love takes a step forward and reaches out to those struck by this catastrophe. Our response seeks to express the caress, the home, and the security that keeps hope alive for a more human future."
The Venezuelan Episcopal Conference (CEV) — the assembly of Catholic bishops in Venezuela — has called all believers to a National Day of Prayer on Sunday, June 28, 2026, for the victims, wounded, families, and affected communities.
"You are not alone. There is a people and a Church walking alongside you. Christian faith becomes alive through works."
The CEV has designated its headquarters in Montalbán (a Caracas neighborhood) and all parish churches in good condition as official collection centers for humanitarian supplies.
The Catholic Church requests the public's assistance with the following items:
For monetary donations, Caritas Venezuela has enabled official collaboration channels.
The tragedy has sparked an unprecedented wave of international solidarity. More than 1,600 rescuers from at least 17 countries have arrived in Venezuela to assist in search and rescue operations, including specialized teams from Argentina, the United States, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and India.
Argentina, Venezuela's neighboring country to the south, sent 26 military personnel with canine units, medical staff, ambulances, and humanitarian aid. They arrived in Caracas on June 27 at 2:30 AM local time and deployed to Caraballeda, La Guaira state — the coastal region most severely affected.
In a deeply moving development, an 18-day-old baby named Juan David and his mother Dayana Patiño were rescued alive after 32 hours trapped under rubble in Playa Grande, La Guaira, providing a ray of hope amid the devastation.
The "seismic doublet" phenomenon (two strong earthquakes occurring in quick succession) is rare but devastating. Google's Android Earthquake Alerts System provided warnings up to 30 seconds before the quakes struck, allowing many citizens to seek shelter.
La Guaira state, the most affected area, is a coastal region approximately 30 km (18 miles) from Caracas, home to many who commute to the capital for work. The region suffered over 100 collapsed buildings, devastating working-class neighborhoods.
Sources: Vatican News | Infobae | ACI Prensa
Alfredo S. Quiroga
