30/06/2026 21:47 - Internacionales
Following the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24, 2026, the humanitarian emergency has entered a critical phase. While international rescue teams continue the search for survivors, authorities face a new silent enemy: disease risk and food shortages that increasingly complicate operations.
The official death toll stands at 1,719 confirmed dead, with over 5,000 injured and between 50,000 and 70,000 missing. The state of La Guaira (located just north of Caracas, Venezuela's capital, along the Caribbean coast) is the most affected zone, with 774 damaged buildings of which 189 completely collapsed.
| Confirmed Deaths | 1,719 |
| Injured | +5,000 |
| Missing Persons | 50,000 - 70,000 |
| Affected Buildings | 774 |
| Countries Sending Aid | 24 |
| International Rescuers | +2,741 |
According to La Nación, rescue teams now face increasingly adverse conditions. Lack of drinking water, food shortages, and disease risks such as cholera, typhus, and other infections transmitted through contaminated water threaten both survivors and the more than 2,700 rescuers from 24 countries working in the area.
The morgue in Caracas receives between 40 and 80 bodies daily, with approximately 150 unclaimed bodies. This situation creates additional health risks in an already devastated area.
The international community has deployed an unprecedented operation:
Donated US$ 300 million and sent C-17 Globemaster III aircraft with specialized teams
Donated 100,000 euros for humanitarian assistance
Donated 100 million yuan (approx. US$ 14.7 million)
Argentina sent 26 military personnel, canine units, medical teams, 2 water purification plants, 134 tents, and 48 kitchen kits. The contingent arrived in Caracas on June 27, 2026 at 2:30 AM and was deployed in Caraballeda, La Guaira.
Following the capture of Nicolás Maduro in January 2026, Delcy Rodríguez assumed the interim presidency of Venezuela. Opposition leader María Corina Machado, 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner, has been in exile since late 2025 and expressed her desire to return to help victims, but the airspace closure by the transitional government prevents her return.
US officials expressed frustration with her requests, calling them a "political maneuver," according to Reuters.
Among rescue teams, Tsunami stands out, a border collie rescued from abandonment and abuse who became a hero by locating an elderly man trapped in Residencias Rita, in San Bernardino parish, Caracas. Member of the K-SAR ECID team, trained by Jorge Beens, Tsunami also participated in rescues in Turkey 2023 and landslides in Las Tejerías and El Castaño, Aragua state. His story recalls Orión, the rottweiler hero of the Vargas tragedy of 1999.
Bart, another Argentine rescue dog, also located two alive minors under the rubble in La Guaira, helping guide the excavation by Argentine Marines.
Sources: La Nación, Infobae, Reuters, official Venezuelan government data, WHO.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
