25/06/2026 03:06 - Internacionales
The baseball game between Marineros de Carabobo and Senadores de Caracas had just begun when the ground started shaking violently. Broadcast cameras captured the exact moment: players at home plate stop in confusion, the catcher and umpire abandon their positions, and within seconds, panic spreads across the field as the stadium structure sways dangerously.
The Estadio Universitario de Caracas, with a capacity of over 25,000 spectators, became the scene of a mass evacuation toward the open field for safety. The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (LMBP) match was immediately suspended.
The phenomenon recorded in Venezuela was classified as a seismic doublet, a rare occurrence where two earthquakes of similar magnitude happen within a very short time interval. This amplifies panic and complicates evacuation efforts, as structures already weakened by the first tremor suffer the impact of the second.
The last similar earthquake in Venezuela occurred in 2018, when a magnitude 7.3 quake struck Sucre State. The difference is that was a single event, whereas on June 24, 2026, the population experienced two consecutive jolts of comparable intensity.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez addressed the nation and declared a state of emergency. "The priority is rescuing lives, then we'll address material reconstruction," she stated, urging the population to remain united.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello confirmed that houses and buildings collapsed in Caracas, reporting "alarming" situations in the Altamira neighborhood. He urged people to stay outdoors due to aftershocks.
The mayor of Chacao municipality, Gustavo Duque, confirmed there were fatalities but could not provide an exact number due to the magnitude of destruction.
Although no official statement about stadium incidents was released, the league posted on social media a list of major hospitals and clinics that remain operational to handle the emergency.
Venezuela is located in a zone of high seismic activity due to the interaction between the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates. The country has experienced destructive earthquakes throughout its history, including the Caracas earthquake of 1812 and the Cariaco earthquake in 1997.
Shallow earthquakes like those recorded on June 24, 2026 (with depths of only 10 to 21 kilometers) tend to be more destructive because energy is released close to the surface, generating more intense shaking over a smaller area.
For international readers: Venezuela is located on the northern coast of South America, along the Caribbean Sea. Caracas is the capital city, home to approximately 3 million people. The country sits on the boundary where the Caribbean plate slides past the South American plate, making it prone to significant seismic activity.
Sources: LA NACION | United States Geological Survey (USGS)
Alfredo S. Quiroga
