107 Portuguese Lost Their Lives in the Destructive Earthquakes in Venezuela; The Venezuelan Government is Considering Supporting Local Portuguese

Following the twin earthquakes that occurred in Venezuela on 24 Haziran and caused the loss of thousands of lives, the Portuguese diaspora in the country faced a major humanitarian tragedy. The Secretary of State of Portugal, Emídio Sousa, made important announcements at the end of his four-day official visit to Caracas. Sousa detailed his meeting with the interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, announcing that the Venezuelan government intends to provide financial support to Portuguese businesses and families affected by the earthquake. Rodríguez expressed her deep gratitude towards the Portuguese community in the country, stating that they hold a very special place in the hearts of Venezuelans. During this process, diplomatic and humanitarian cooperation between the two countries is planned to be carried out with close monitoring to heal the wounds of the disaster victims.

The scale and destructiveness of the earthquakes caused great shock and sorrow in the international public opinion. According to statements made by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 tremors, which occurred approximately 200 kilometers away from Caracas, took place less than a minute apart from each other. Following these massive tremors, hundreds of aftershocks that paralyzed the region were recorded. According to the latest official data announced by Venezuelan authorities, this terrible natural disaster caused the death of at least 4.118 people and the injury of 16.740 people. It was reported that among the deceased there are at least 107 Portuguese or individuals of Portuguese descent, and additionally, 57 people are still missing or unreachable.

The Portuguese government emphasized that it has stood by its citizens in the region since the very beginning of the crisis and initiated a multifaceted intervention process. While search and rescue operations were prioritized in the initial phase, highly specialized teams belonging to Portugal were dispatched to the region within this scope. It was praised by Portuguese officials that these teams worked with great dedication and extraordinary success to rescue those trapped under the rubble. The efforts carried out in coordination with various local authorities at the scene, representatives of the Portuguese community, civil society organizations, and international partners present on the ground aimed to alleviate the devastation caused by the disaster. The Secretary of State of Portugal, Emídio Sousa, stated that their country took all necessary and appropriate steps during this process, demonstrating their resolve in responding to the crisis.

Following the successful search and rescue operations, humanitarian aid processes, which are the second phase of the operation, were quickly initiated. Different types of emergency relief supplies were transported to the region via aircraft belonging to the Portuguese Air Force, and it is planned that an additional 8 tons of relief supplies will be delivered to Venezuela with a TAP flight next Monday. Furthermore, to further strengthen this humanitarian aid, the Portuguese government decided to redirect a portion of the financial support provided to Luso-Venezuelan social and associative movements directly to the disaster area. In this regard, it is aimed to integrate the 400 thousand euro fund allocated by Instituto Camões to support families into crisis management, particularly to help Portuguese families overcome this terrible tragedy.

These destructive earthquakes in Venezuela ceased to be merely a regional crisis, transforming into a global disaster that witnessed a unified display of solidarity from the international community. Portugal and various other member states of the European Union swiftly deployed their expert teams to Venezuela to support search and rescue efforts on the ground and deliver emergency aid. Emídio Sousa stated that they would remain in close contact with Venezuelan authorities to closely monitor potential future steps and new forms of assistance. International efforts are expected to continue to ensure the rapid recovery of all Venezuelans alongside the Portuguese affected by the disaster. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez's gratitude and appreciation for the assistance towards the Portuguese delegation highlighted how critical the historical ties between the countries are in such crises.