Venezuela was hit by two major earthquakes in quick succession on the night of June 24, 2026, with
magnitudes around 7.2 and 7.5, centered near Morón in Yaracuy state, west of Caracas. Casualty figures have climbed sharply since the initial reports — early counts put the toll at 32 dead and about 700 injured, but later figures from Al Jazeera put the number closer to 164 deaths and nearly 1,000 injured. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a national state of emergency, and tsunami alerts were issued across the wider Caribbean as rescue teams worked through collapsed buildings.
Turkish President Erdoğan was among the earliest world leaders to respond, posting a message of condolence that expressed shared grief for the victims and reaffirmed Turkey’s support for Venezuela during this difficult period. Rodríguez thanked him directly for the gesture, which comes on the heels of a recent warming in Turkish-Venezuelan relations — the two governments held high-level talks in Istanbul earlier in June centered on expanding cooperation in trade, energy, and mining.
The wider international reaction has spanned regions and political divides:
- Latin America — Leaders including Mexico’s Sheinbaum, Ecuador’s Noboa, the Dominican Republic’s Abinader, El Salvador’s Bukele, Brazil’s Lula, Panama’s Mulino, and Uruguay’s Orsi all offered condolences and assistance, several pledging rescue or medical teams. Cuba also mobilized health workers already stationed in the country. Rodríguez has been responding to many of these messages personally online.
- United States — Despite ongoing friction between Washington and Caracas, President Trump described the disaster as severe and pledged American readiness to help, while Secretary of State Rubio confirmed rapid deployment of rescue and humanitarian resources.
- Europe — European Commission President von der Leyen and Italian Prime Minister Meloni both voiced support, with Italy working to set up aid channels.
- Elsewhere — Pakistan’s Prime Minister Sharif and Spain’s Prime Minister Sánchez also offered condolences and support.
Taken together, the breadth and speed of this response highlight both how severe the disaster has been and how actively Venezuela is working to coordinate international relief during the unfolding crisis.
