President Donald Trump warned of a “devastating” number of deaths after two massive earthquakes struck Venezuela overnight.
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck 100 miles west of the nation’s capital of Caracas, followed by a 7.5-magnitude quake just a minute later.
Trump posted about the twin quakes on Truth Social shortly before midnight, writing, “The two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths. The U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help!”
“I have instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly,” he continued, adding, “We will be there for our new and great friends. Early reports are not good!!!”
State Department officials confirmed on social media that they were in touch with local authorities and providing assistance.
“The US stands with the Venezuelan people in the aftermath of this evening’s devastating earthquakes,” Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote on X. “We’re in touch with the authorities and mobilizing assistance. May God bless our Venezuelan friends at this difficult moment. ¡Fuerza Venezuela! ¡Estamos con Ustedes!”
Under Secretary Jeremy Lewin added that a disaster assistance team and task force had been mobilized.
“The @StateDept has already mobilized a disaster assistance team and task force to deliver and coordinate critical assistance to the Venezuelan people,” Lewin wrote on X. “Working with our partners in the interim Venezuelan government, the U.S. will be sending search and rescue teams, medical and humanitarian supplies and other resources in the crucial first days after this tragic natural disaster.”
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez has said that at least 32 people have died and 700 more are injured. The United States Geological Survey says there is a chance of a substantially higher death toll, with modeling projecting a 39 percent chance of between 1,000 to 10,000 deaths.
“Dozens of buildings have collapsed, and we are currently carrying out very intense rescue efforts to save as many lives as God allows us to save,” Rodriguez said in an address on state television just before 1 a.m., according to Reuters.
“I also want to say that this is a true tragedy. From here, we send our message of solidarity, and to those families who have lost loved ones, we reaffirm our condolences and our support in these difficult hours,” she added.
Rodriguez noted that initial figures do not include casualties from La Guaira state, which has suffered the most damage in the earthquakes.
Rodriguez, who became interim president following the abduction and arrest of President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces in January, also said that rescue crews from other countries would be arriving shortly and thanked leaders, including Trump.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who gifted her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Trump in January, issued a statement on X following the devastating earthquakes.
“My heart, my infinite embrace, and my prayers are with every Venezuelan home in these hours of anguish,” she wrote. “May strength, serenity, and solidarity prevail among us in the face of this difficult moment.”
“May God protect every Venezuelan, our families, and our homes. Today, more united than ever.”
Venezuela is situated where the Caribbean Plate meets the South American Plate, placing it in a seismically active zone. It has been the site of several large earthquakes in the past, including one in 1812 that killed an estimated 30,000, and another in 1967 that killed 240 after tower blocks collapsed.
