US Pledges 'Big, Fast, Effective' Support to Venezuela After Devastating Twin Earthquakes

Washington: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has pledged "big, fast, and effective" American support to earthquake-stricken Venezuela, following a direct phone conversation with the country's acting President Delcy Rodriguez.

“We're already deploying search and rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles. There will be some others we'll add. That's their most immediate need right now, is search and rescue efforts- they have much of collapsed buildings. And so they'll need a lot of help in terms of digging through that,” Rubio said.

“We've already stood up our disaster response teams at the Department of State and our humanitarian efforts. It's something we did very well in Jamaica, after that storm, and it's something we're really prepared to do now,” he said.

Rodriguez announced the call on her official X account Thursday, saying Rubio conveyed solidarity with the Venezuelan people amid the national crisis triggered by powerful back-to-back earthquakes. She expressed appreciation for Washington's gesture during what she described as an exceptionally challenging period for the South American nation.

The twin tremors, which struck early Thursday (Indian Standard Time), have caused widespread destruction, particularly in and around the capital Caracas. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the first quake registered a magnitude of 7.1 at a shallow depth of 13 kilometers, with its epicenter west of the coastal town of Moron. Just 40 seconds later, a stronger 7.5-magnitude quake hit the same area at a depth of 10 kilometers. Officials described the events as the most powerful to strike Venezuela in a century.

Rising Toll and Ongoing Crisis

Acting President Rodriguez reported that the death toll has climbed to at least 164, with 971 people confirmed injured. Authorities fear the final casualty figure could rise significantly higher due to the large number of collapsed and heavily damaged buildings. Search and rescue operations continue, complicated by at least 30 aftershocks.

The quakes flattened structures in Caracas and forced the closure of the country's main airport. The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center briefly issued alerts for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands before lifting them.

Rodriguez said she is working closely with the United Nations to bring in international rescue teams. She has also engaged the International Monetary Fund to secure an initial $200 million for reconstruction efforts.

UN Calls for Media Access

In a separate development, United Nations experts urged Venezuelan authorities to immediately unblock access to social media platforms and news outlets, calling it a "life-and-death" necessity for sharing critical information in the disaster zone.

"For a country already facing enormous challenges, this is a devastating blow," said the UN's Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela. The experts stressed that open communication channels are essential for an effective response and that there should be "no excuse" for delays.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) noted Venezuela's poor ranking on global press freedom indices, citing a history of media restrictions that intensified in recent years. The organization highlighted ongoing concerns about information control despite some positive steps earlier in 2026.

The earthquakes have compounded difficulties for Venezuela, prompting a broad international response as emergency teams race against time to locate survivors in the rubble. U.S. assistance is expected to focus on rapid humanitarian support in the coming days.

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