Venezuela: The Earth Trembles

ONE FINE AFTERNOON…
One beautiful afternoon, at the beginning of summer. Early that afternoon, I invited my friend, the philosopher Carmen Alicia DiPasquale, to the movies, and we thoroughly enjoyed the game of vanities played by Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt in The Devil Wears Prada 2.

Despite her vast knowledge, Carmen Alicia didn’t know where Hathaway was from and asked me if she was English. “She’s a North American Jew,” I told her, “The British one is the other one, Emily Blunt.”

At the evening, I went to watch the Brazil vs. Scotland match in the World Cup with a group of friends at our favorite bar in Caracas.

We toasted and shouted with joy at Vinicius Jr.’s first goal, and suddenly the world began to tremble. One after the other, two earthquakes of chilling magnitude struck.

We are well-versed in earthquakes, because historically, Venezuela experiences a major earthquake, above 7.1 on the Richter scale, approximately every 60 years. The strongest before this one was in 1900. Another devastating one occurred in 1967. Now, we had two in 2026.

It was what seismologists call a doublet, two earthquakes in quick succession, within a few seconds of each other, which makes the situation even more complicated: the first was 1.7, and the second 7.5, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

And only the second earthquake liberated the power of 260 nuclear bombs.

Interim President Delcy Rodríguez confirmed in her first two statements to the state-run television channel Venezolana de Televisión (VTV) still on Wednesday, at least 164 dead and 971 injured as a result of the two earthquakes. More than 30 aftershocks have been recorded in the last 12 hours.

But the numbers are rising with each new report, and the count of collapsed buildings continues to grow.

In the Los Palos Grandes neighborhood of Caracas alone, four buildings collapsed, another in San Bernardino, and another in El Paraíso, also in Caracas. However, there must be more fallen buildings.

In Maracay, my family’s city, at least one collapsed, and the number of victims is unknown.

But the greatest tragedy occurred in La Guaira state, on the coast of Caracas, next to Maiquetía International Airport.

The list of collapsed buildings shared by volunteers and rescue organizations, and the recent statement of Jorge Rodríguez, President of the National Assembly, recognize that the number exceeds 250 structures, completely destroyed, with their inhabitants trapped inside, because they didn’t have time to escape.

The reports are incomplete; there are areas without electricity, without internet access, and with roads cut off, so neither firefighters nor authorities can reach them.

The USGS, using predictive modeling to estimate the death toll, said it would most likely run into the thousands, with a substantial probability of exceeding 10,000.
We won’t know for at least another week.

The USGS also estimated that the economic losses are equivalent to between 1% and 4% of Venezuela’s GDP. These projections come from the automated Global Earthquake Rapid Assessment for Response system, which uses seismic data to calculate the extent and impact of an earthquake.

WELCOME, MR. TRUMP
US President Donald Trump announced Wednesday night that his government is prepared to assist Venezuela after the two earthquakes that struck the country and ordered federal agencies to organize an emergency response.

“The two major earthquakes that just struck the great people of Venezuela are massive in scale and have left a devastating death toll. The US is ready, willing, and able to help! I have instructed all agencies of our government to prepare to move quickly. We will be there for our great new friends. The first reports are not good!” Trump wrote on the social media platform Truth Social.

The announcement came hours after Under Secretary of State Christopher Landau and senior official Jeremy Lewin confirmed the mobilization of a disaster assistance team, search and rescue personnel, and medical and humanitarian supplies.

The US Army Corps of Engineers is also preparing to assist Venezuela.

According to US authorities, the deployment is being coordinated with the Venezuelan interim government to support response efforts following the earthquakes that affected various parts of the country.

The assistance includes specialized resources for emergency operations, as well as the delivery of medical and humanitarian aid to the affected areas.

Minutes after the White House occupant’s message, the US State Department reported that it had already mobilized a team and a disaster assistance task force to coordinate and provide essential aid to Venezuela.

“In collaboration with our partners in the Venezuelan interim government, the United States will send search and rescue teams, medical and humanitarian supplies, and other resources during the crucial first days following this tragic natural disaster,” the agency stated.

The US expressed Washington’s support for the Venezuelan people following Wednesday’s earthquakes. “The United States stands with the Venezuelan people after tonight’s devastating earthquakes. We are in contact with the authorities and mobilizing assistance. May God bless our Venezuelan friends in this difficult time. Strength to Venezuela! We are with you!” the Republican administration official stated.

Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, acknowledged the contacts with the US head of state in her second address on Venezolana de Televisión after the earthquakes: “I want to thank President Trump, who has been in constant contact with the Venezuelan government and all our authorities.”

ISRAEL APPEARS
According to reports from international news agencies, Israel is preparing to send an aid delegation to Venezuela following the earthquakes that struck the country, the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
Could it be the beginning of a new era of diplomatic relationships?
Why not?

“The Ministry is conducting a situation assessment with the relevant authorities in Israel and is examining the options for assistance,” the statement said. The Health Ministry is also preparing to send a medical aid delegation to Venezuela, including forming medical, logistics, and emergency response teams that will join the effort, pending coordination with and from the Foreign Ministry.

IsraAID, Israel’s largest non-governmental humanitarian aid agency, also confirmed that it is deploying an emergency response team to our country.

“IsraAID’s initial team will include emergency response specialists and humanitarian experts from the organization’s ongoing mission in Colombia and its global Emergency Response Team,” the NGO added.

There are no reported casualties within the Jewish community in Caracas. My friend Miguel Truzman, President of the Confederation of Jewish Associations of Venezuela (CAIV), commented to me yesterday that: “Many members of the Jewish community chose to go through this difficult night together and are now sleeping in the Jewish community center in the city.”

OTHER FRIENDS ARRIVING
In the coming hours, rescue brigades from at least five countries are expected to arrive in the country to support search and rescue efforts following the two earthquakes that struck central Venezuela on Wednesday, leaving hundreds dead and thousands injured.
The United States was one of the first nations to respond. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Thursday the deployment of search and rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela.

“At the direction of President Trump, the State Department is immediately deploying search and rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela,” Rubio stated on X.

Meanwhile, the President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, announced the dispatch of a delegation of 300 rescuers and paramedics.

The president specified that the shipment of humanitarian aid also includes 50 tons of technical equipment, medicines, and essential supplies for the affected population.

Likewise, the President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, announced that specialized search, rescue, and emergency response teams from his Armed Forces departed for the country early Thursday morning, while also expressing his deep solidarity with the families of the victims and the injured.

“Our thoughts are with the families of the victims, the injured, and all the Venezuelan people during these difficult times,” he stated.

Meanwhile, France will send 85 rescue workers to Venezuela, President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday after speaking with his Venezuelan counterpart, Delcy Rodríguez.

During their conversation Thursday, Macron expressed to Rodríguez “France’s solidarity with the Venezuelan people” and his willingness, “along with its European partners,” to provide assistance, he wrote on social media.

“A team of French rescuers specializing in search and rescue operations in collapsed structures will be deployed immediately,” the French president added.

Germany offered six military aircraft to assist Venezuela. “The German Armed Forces are prepared and can make up to six A400M transport aircraft available in a short time as soon as support is requested,” Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in a statement.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote in X that she has “ordered the preparation of the necessary aid.”

“For now, they have requested support with specialized rescue and medical personnel. Mexico always is and always will be in solidarity,” she stated.

“All my solidarity with the brotherly people of Venezuela. I have ordered the immediate dispatch of humanitarian aid to address this emergency. Ecuador will respond with the speed and commitment that this moment demands because, despite the enormous differences, humanity…”

“The actions of a leader must always be guided by principle,” declared President Daniel Noboa.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated in a press release that “Italy is ready to provide assistance” to Venezuela.

“We will ask the EU to activate the Civil Protection Mechanism, which coordinates and finances emergency interventions in situations like this,” he said.

China announced it is ready to send “all possible aid” to Venezuela. “China wants to offer all possible assistance in an appropriate manner, according to Venezuela’s needs,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun stated at a press conference.

Social media is abuzz with activity, organizing support groups, networks to search for missing family members and friends, and sharing information about offices and support centers where people can go to request help or offer assistance.

SOLIDARITY
In times like these, Venezuelans always demonstrate that solidarity and the spirit of humanity and cooperation transcend political differences. With the new political situation following January 3rd, when Nicolás Maduro was arrested and taken to the US, the response is different.

To begin with, Venezuela immediately accepted the aid and solidarity of the US, and the Trump administration called our country “Our new friends.” That wouldn’t have happened if Maduro had remained in power.

The tragedy would have been twofold: first, because of the natural disaster, and second, because of Maduro’s disastrous geopolitics, which would have blocked aid from powerful and close new partners, like the US.

Venezuelans, in the midst of this tragedy, know that their families, their love and solidarity, their sense of belonging—both those of us who stayed and those living in the diaspora—are above ideological and political differences.

These are dark days in Venezuela, dear friends of Israel.

But as my mentor Michael Laitman says: “It is in the midst of darkness that, if you light a match, you are able to illuminate the world.”