US Deploys 2,000 Military Personnel to Venezuela Following Twin Earthquakes

Approximately 2,000 American military personnel have been deployed to assist in the response to the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela last week. General Francis Donovan, head of the US Southern Command, stated that the Department of Defence has around 2,000 team members in the region, operating on land, in the air, and at sea near Venezuela. “They are working hard every day to assist with search and rescue efforts, to help with recovery operations, and to deliver needed supplies,” the senior US general told reporters. The devastating earthquakes, measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, struck Venezuela in quick succession on Wednesday of last week. The twin quakes collapsed numerous buildings, damaged the country’s main airport, and resulted in nearly 2,300 fatalities. Tens of thousands of people remain unaccounted for and are feared trapped under the rubble. Intensive search and rescue operations are ongoing to locate victims, even though the critical 72-hour survival window has passed. Amid the search efforts, tens of thousands of residents are now struggling to obtain food and shelter following the twin earthquakes. Doctors have warned of potential disease outbreaks as many displaced people are forced to sleep on the streets. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reported widespread food shortages, with basic services paralysed and communication lines largely severed in the port city of La Guaira, the area worst affected by the quakes. The Venezuelan government has declared a seven-day period of national mourning to honour the victims, an announcement made by interim President Delcy Rodriguez on Wednesday. “The soul of the nation is torn by the loss of life,” Rodriguez said.