01/07/2026 15:04 - Internacionales
Two powerful earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 struck Venezuela on June 24, 2026, leaving a devastating toll that grows by the day. For context, Venezuela is a South American nation located on the northern coast of the continent, bordered by Colombia, Brazil, and Guyana. The official count registered on Tuesday, June 30, recorded 1,943 deaths, 10,571 injured, and 15,866 displaced persons, but international organizations warn that the number of missing persons could be significantly higher.
La Guaira is the devastated coastal state where most collapsed buildings are concentrated. This region is located just north of Caracas, Venezuela's capital city, making it a critical area for the country's infrastructure.
The epicenter was located near Morón, approximately 170 km (105 miles) west of Caracas. The Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía suffered severe damage, with only two of its three runways cleared for humanitarian aid flights. Experts estimate that commercial operations will not resume for several months.
Although the chances of finding survivors diminish with each passing hour, rescue teams continue to work tirelessly:
The human rights organization Provea (Venezuelan Program of Education-Action in Human Rights) stated that "official figures generate more doubts than certainties" and demanded "zero opacity in the response to this national tragedy." The NGO estimated that the missing could reach 50,000.
Four officers from the CICPC (Venezuela's Scientific, Penal and Criminal Investigations Corps) were detained for appropriating "economic goods" from the rubble in La Guaira. Videos on social media show citizens confronting an officer who had U.S. dollars in cash.
The National Union of Press Workers denounced that the Ministry of Communication suspended correspondents' access to La Guaira "for health reasons," although accredited teams can enter by their own means.
Skarlent Rodríguez, model crowned Miss Grand Orlando 2025, and her boyfriend José Castro were found deceased among the rubble of the building where they lived in La Guaira.
The family started a GoFundMe collection for rescue expenses and funeral ceremonies.
Argentina sent 26 military personnel in a first operation and two additional planes with 38 people and assistance materials. Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno expressed that conversations with Venezuela could open "a space for dialogue" toward better understanding between both countries, which have not maintained diplomatic relations since mid-2024.
"The people are saving the people."
Claudia Tapia, Venezuelan resident in Río Cuarto, Argentina, expressed: "Something like this has never happened in my memory. It is lived with pain from a distance." In Río Cuarto, a collection was organized where medical supplies are especially needed.
María Corina Machado, 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner and opposition leader in exile, announced her intention to return to help victims, but the closure of airspace prevents this. U.S. officials described her request as a "political maneuver."
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez faces her greatest leadership test with the expiration of the 180-day constitutional deadline for a transitional government.
The organizations UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), Red Cross, and CAF (Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean) accept donations for victims. The Argentine government enabled channels for Argentine citizens with affected relatives to receive consular assistance.
Sources: Clarín | CNN en Español
Alfredo S. Quiroga
