Photo 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Rescue workers continue to clear the rubble two days after the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes, which were the strongest to hit the country in more than a century. The situation remains most dire in the coastal state of La Guaira, where residential neighborhoods and infrastructure have been destroyed. According to Reuters and the Associated Press, search efforts are being hampered by a lack of heavy equipment, and residents in many areas are clearing the rubble on their own in the hope of finding survivors.
Sixteen countries and the United Nations have already sent aid to Venezuela. In the coming days, planes carrying humanitarian supplies, rescue workers, and mobile medical teams will arrive in the country.
Spain was one of the first countries to launch a large-scale rescue operation. According to the country’s Foreign Ministry, four Spanish citizens have been confirmed dead, and another 106 are listed as missing. Of these, 14, according to the ministry, are trapped under the rubble and are a priority for search teams. Among the dead is Isabel Jara, head of the Canary Islands government’s representative office in Venezuela.
Madrid has sent a military transport aircraft to Venezuela carrying a unit from the Military Emergency Unit (UME), firefighters, K-9 teams, and staff from the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (AECID). Spain has also activated an initial emergency aid package worth 1 million euros, mobilized the European Civil Protection Mechanism, and offered to deploy the START mobile field hospital.
According to Euronews, UME units have already arrived in Venezuela. The operation involves 59 military personnel, two military engineers, and eight K-9 teams, who have joined the international search and rescue efforts.
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