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• Get the latest updates on the Venezuela earthquakes here.
Key developments
• Deadly quakes: The death toll from a pair of earthquakes that struck Venezuela has gone up to around 235, and 4,300 people are injured, according to its health minister. The second quake was Venezuela’s most powerful in more than a century. Track what we know in maps and charts.
• On the ground: Many people are missing or still trapped beneath rubble as rescue efforts stretch into Thursday night. Many residents have nowhere to go after their homes were flattened in the port city of La Guaira, the capital Caracas and surrounding areas.
• International response: The US is deploying elite rescue teams to Venezuela, though it’s not yet clear when they’ll arrive, and pledges of foreign aid are pouring in. Venezuelans living abroad are anxiously awaiting updates from loved ones.
• Another blow: The disaster comes at a dire time for Venezuela, which was already in a political and financial crisis.
US military sending forces to Venezuela for relief efforts
The United States Southern Command, which oversees US military activities in Latin America and the Caribbean, said it is “surging available assigned” US forces in the region to support the earthquake relief operations in Venezuela, according to a statement posted to X Thursday.
SouthCom has directed “significant forces to the effort, including the amphibious transport ship USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) and the littoral combat ship USS Billings (LCS 15),” the statement said.
“C-17 Globemaster and C-130 Hercules transport aircraft will also support, along with reconnaissance platforms and rotary-wing aircraft.”
The US is also deploying elite rescue teams, medical resources and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela. The State Department announced earlier that the US will provide $150 million in aid.
Venezuela's 2-year ban on X has been partially lifted. But access to information remains a challenge
The nearly two-year ban on X in Venezuela has been partially lifted, according to VE sin Filtro, a Venezuelan organization that monitors internet freedom.
While all major internet service providers have restored access to the site, some internet users aren’t able to load images or videos on the platform because not all domains used by X have been unblocked, the organization said.
Venezuela has one of the most restricted media landscapes in the world, which has made it difficult for residents or concerned loved ones abroad to gain information about damage or casualties from the earthquakes.
More than 200 websites in the country are blocked, including local and international news, social media sites and censorship circumvention tools like VPNs, according to a June 25 update from VE sin Filtro.
The partial lifting of the ban on X comes after the United Nations’ Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela urged the authorities to “fully restore access to social networks and all media outlets.”
“In the coming hours and days, timely access to reliable information and communication channels will be vital for the protection of the lives, safety, and well-being of the population,” the UN statement said.
Venezuela quake death toll rises to around 235
The death toll from the deadly double earthquakes that hit Venezuela on Wednesday has risen to around 235, Health Minister Carlos Alvarado said on state television Thursday evening. He added that more than 4,300 people were injured.
This post has been updated to correct the number of injured people.
Thousands of children at risk after Venezuela quake, UNICEF warns
The United Nations’ children’s agency has warned that thousands of children are at risk in Venezuela after two earthquakes struck the country.
About 3.9 million children live in areas affected by the quakes, and many families need urgent assistance, UNICEF said in a statement on Thursday.
UNICEF warned that in the hours and days ahead, children will be among the most vulnerable.
They face “injury, family separation, displacement, distress, and disruptions to services including healthcare, safe water, education and protection,” the agency said.
Trump reiterates that US will help relief efforts following Venezuelan earthquakes
United States President Donald Trump reiterated his intention to help Venezuela in his first on-camera comments Thursday after a pair of earthquakes left at least 188 dead in the country overnight.
Late last night, Trump pledged his support for Venezuela in a post to Truth Social, writing, “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. We will be there for our new and great friends. Early reports are not good!!!” he wrote.
US assistance: The State Department announced earlier that the US will provide $150 million in aid to Venezuela and the US Defense Department will also provide aircraft to assess damage, find injured victims and deliver life-saving assistance.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that the US was deploying search and rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles. A Disaster Assistance Response Team is also being deployed to provide expertise on disaster response.
CNN’s Michael Rios contributed reporting to this post.
Venezuela experienced darkest night after quakes that struck country "like a roar"
Amparo Díaz was at home, in a fourth-floor apartment building located in the Chacao municipality, when a powerful tremor made her feel her life was in danger.
As of Thursday, the death toll stands at least 188 people and more than 1,500 have been injured, including material damage that has yet to be quantified.
With her eyes still wide from the shock, Díaz recounted that she felt the movement “like a roar.”
Somehow, she and the rest of her family managed to escape the building, where they saw cracks in some walls. They were also able to salvage a few belongings: cookies, water and underwear — just enough to get them through the initial moments of the emergency.
Like her, thousands of other Venezuelans have set up makeshift camps outside their homes.
Adding to the fear of returning indoors was a warning issued by Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello during a phone call on state television VTV, in which he asked citizens to remain outdoors due to the possibility of aftershocks and until the structural integrity of each building could be verified.
Interior minister asks Venezuelans to trust the government in earthquake response
Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello asked citizens to trust the government in its response to the earthquakes that shook the country on Wednesday.
Visiting La Guaira, the state most affected by the earthquakes, Cabello indicated that authorities are working to accelerate search and rescue efforts through brigades and the use of heavy machinery.
Delcy Rodríguez visits La Guaira, the state most affected by Venezuela earthquakes
Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez visited La Guaira state on Thursday, the area most affected by the powerful earthquakes that shook the country on Wednesday, the presidency announced in a statement.
Rodríguez led a meeting with officials in La Guaira to assess the situation and emphasize that the priority “is focused on expediting operational decision-making to safeguard the lives of the population and assist the affected families,” according to the statement.
Also participating in the meeting were Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez and military commanders.
Images and video out of Venezuela are showing the scale of destruction
Aerial video and satellite photos are showing the true scale of destruction in Venezuela after deadly earthquakes rattled parts of the country Wednesday night.
Countries from around the globe are deploying resources and pledging humanitarian assistance, including the United States and neighboring Colombia.
Here’s what we know:
- Video taken above La Guaira, a port city that was hit hard by the back-to-back quakes, shows several buildings that have completely collapsed. Others are leaning and badly damaged, with walls and windows knocked out.
- The debris of two fallen buildings shown in the footage, which was aired on Venezuela’s state-run television channel, VTV, is completely blocking a road.
- Satellite images shared by spatial intelligence company Vantor show collapsed buildings and severe structural damage across the neighborhoods in La Guaira, ranging from hotels, large warehouses and dozens of residences in these photos alone. Some of the images also show evidence of fire damage.
- Other images show overwhelmed hospitals, with improvised wards in hallways and even on the street due to the large number of wounded. Venezuela’s health system has been undergoing a long crisis due to years of deterioration and lack of investment.
- Residents and rescuers were seen climbing rubble and ruins of toppled apartment buildings, combing through debris for signs of survivors in La Guaira.
- United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US will also provide assistance with “overhead imagery” to assess damage, particularly in coastal areas.
- See more images from the quake aftermath in our photo gallery.
CNN’s Gonzalo Zegarra, Avery Schmitz, Issy Ronald and Thomas Bordeaux contributed reporting to this post.
Many Venezuelans appeal to digital citizen search initiatives
Within hours of the earthquakes, alongside the official rescue operations, several unofficial websites quickly came into life for desperate relatives to host pictures of their missing loved ones.
One of the most widely used is the website “Desaparecidos Terremoto Venezuela” translated as Missing Persons Earthquake Venezuela, that was created by volunteers to help people search for the missing after the devastating quakes.
These platforms are created by individual citizens and operate without government oversight. They also require no account creation, and users can create unlimited missing persons reports.
CNN has not been able to independently verify the numbers of missing people put out by the registries.
The platform has been widely shared by Venezuela’s opposition party Voluntad Popular, as well as other civil groups and cultural figures.
As the death toll and scale of missing persons remains unclear, many Venezuelans are appealing to these platforms in an effort to find missing loved ones.
Where search and rescue efforts stand now that it's been 24 hours since quakes struck
Residents and rescuers are combing through debris from the massive earthquakes that left at least 188 people dead in Venezuela. The priority at this hour is to rescue people who remain trapped under the rubble, officials say.
Two of the United States’ most accomplished and sophisticated urban search and rescue teams — from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles County — are deploying to Venezuela. And the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, announced the deployment of a team of rescuers and health personnel from the Secretariat of National Defense to bolster the effort, as well.
There are still many people missing — at least 157 remain to be found, according to National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez — and more than 200 people remain trapped under the rubble of some 250 collapsed or damaged buildings, he said in an update this afternoon.
Foreign nations are also monitoring the status of their citizens in the country: At least 80 Spanish nationals are missing, according to the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
CNN’s Brian Todd, Kerry Rubin, Sol Amaya, Michael Rios, Max Feliu, Pau Mosquera, Mary Trina Mena, Camille Rodriguez Montilla, Graham Hurley, Gonzalo Zegarra and Veronica Calderon contributed reporting.
Humanitarian workers who fled their homes overnight have spent the day providing aid
Some humanitarian workers in Venezuela who experienced the harrowing earthquakes Wednesday alongside their communities are now regrouping to help those who have been displaced, said Ciarán Donnelly, a senior vice president at the International Rescue Committee.
Members of the organization’s team on the ground had to flee their homes as the powerful quakes struck, Donnelly told CNN. Like many others, they slept outside, afraid of aftershocks or further collapsing buildings. The scene on the ground is “cataclysmic,” he said.
But when the sun came up, the International Rescue Committee’s team came into the office and focused their efforts on supporting people who have been displaced, Donnelly said.
Their work includes providing food, shelter and water, but also evaluating sanitation systems and trying to prevent the spread of diseases. The earthquakes’ devastation comes on top of already existing, underlying humanitarian needs in Venezuela, Donnelly said.
He said building back from the earthquake is going to be a “long-term effort” and one that will take financial and technical help.
“It’s all the more of an uphill struggle when you’re coming from a situation of very limited social services, very limited public infrastructure, and the financial and economic challenges that Venezuela has continued to experience,” Donnelly said.
Influencer Lele Pons among Venezuelan celebrities reacting to earthquake
Popular Venezuelan American influencer Lele Pons is using her social media platform to rally support for those affected by the deadly earthquakes, urging those needing help to flag where it is needed most.
“Places that need immediate assistance, leave a shout-out in the comments!” she said to her more than 52 million Instagram followers, tagging well-known Venezuelan singer Danny Ocean in the post.
In her Instagram stories, Pons shared screenshots of people tagging her in posts, calling for resources like chisels, sledgehehammers, safety helmets and pickaxes, as people are still stuck beneath rubble. Pons also shared people’s posts about their missing loved ones.
The social media star also shared a screenshot of someone apparently direct messaging her, asking to spread a call for emergency services in La Guaira.
Ocean for his part, posted multiple photos of lists of pediatric patients without a family member, said to be at the Miguel Perez Carreno hospital. CNN cannot independently verify the contents or authenticity of the list and it is unclear where he got the information from.
“The Mummy” actress Patricia Velasquez also sent a message of solidarity to the country.
“My thoughts and prayers are with each person and each family. May peace and protection embrace you in this difficult moment,” she posted to Instagram.
At least 138 aftershocks occurred after twin earthquakes, says Venezuelan lawmaker
Venezuela has felt at least 138 aftershocks after two powerful earthquakes struck the country on Wednesday, killing at least 188 people and injuring more than 1,500, according to the president of the National Assembly.
Jorge Rodríguez announced the figures in a broadcast on the state-run channel Venezolana de Televisión (VTV).
US pledges $150 million in aid to Venezuela
The US will provide $150 million in aid to Venezuela following Wednesday’s devastating earthquakes, the State Department announced.
It pledged a $100 million contribution to a UN humanitarian fund for Venezuela and $50 million to aid organizations already working in the country.
The US Defense Department will also provide aircraft to assess damage, find injured victims and deliver life-saving assistance, the State Department added.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier that the US was deploying search and rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles. A Disaster Assistance Response Team is also being deployed to provide expertise on disaster response.
Global aid effort ramps up for quake-hit Venezuela
The United Nations said it is coordinating the deployment of urban search-and-rescue teams to Venezuela following Wednesday’s powerful earthquakes.
The United States is deploying search-and-rescue teams, medical resources and humanitarian assistance, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Neighboring Colombia announced it would send humanitarian aid as well as more than 60 rescuers and four dogs to help with search efforts.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said health personnel from Cuba are “actively cooperating in the care of the victims” in Venezuela, though he didn’t provide details.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said he has ordered the dispatch of a rescue mission and personnel from the National Civil Protection System.
Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it will send aid supplies, provide funding and deploy a field hospital.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the dispatch of a team of rescuers and health personnel.
Pope Leo has sent an initial aid package worth 100,000 euros (roughly $113,700)
The European Union said it “stands ready” to mobilize assistance if it receives a request.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei announced the country’s “readiness” to provide assistance in relief and rescue operations.
China, which has close ties to Venezuela, said it is “willing to provide assistance within its capabilities.”
What it's like on the ground as displaced residents wait for answers
What used to be apartment buildings in Venezuela’s coastal state of La Guaira are now piles of debris: windows are smashed, pipes lay nearby, slabs of concrete foundation jut into the air.
Stuffed animals, clothes and shoes — things that were once people’s private possessions — are out in the open, displaced, like many of the area’s residents after powerful back-to-back earthquakes rocked Venezuela on Wednesday night. At least 188 people have been killed, according to the country’s National Assembly president.
La Guaira suffered the worst damage and has been declared a disaster zone. As crews search frantically through the rubble trying to find survivors, many of those who lived in the collapsed houses are waiting for answers on loved ones and the path forward.
Here’s what the situation is like on the ground:
- Many people have gathered in public spaces with backpacks and a whatever items they managed to grab, according to Médecins Sans Frontières, also known as Doctors Without Borders. Others are staying outside because they are worried their apartment buildings could collapse next.
- Local councils are working to provide shelters in schools and baseball stadiums quickly, to prevent people from sleeping on the streets. Some schools and other public buildings have been set up as collection centers for emergency supplies
- The Venezuelan Red Cross said the most urgently needed items are “emergency shelters for families whose homes were damaged or destroyed, and urgent medical care, including trauma care and psychosocial support,” as well as safe water, sanitation and essential household items.
- Many residents are still without access to the internet or even electricity, and vital information is traveling slowly.
- In the Los Palos Grandes neighborhood in east Caracas, people are waiting anxiously as rescue teams try to locate the missing in a damaged building. At least four young men are still unaccounted for from one apartment block, their relatives told CNN.
- Other residents have jumped into action, helping members of the public forces search through the rubble.
CNN’s Jennifer Hauser, Sharon Braithwaite, Osmary Hernández, Sol Amaya and Charlotte Reck contributed reporting to this post.
Satellite images show widespread damage in coastal city, La Guaira
New satellite images shared by spatial intelligence company Vantor reveal extensive damage in the Venezuelan coastal city of La Guaira, just 10 miles north of central Caracas, following yesterday’s deadly twin earthquakes.
The images show collapsed buildings and severe structural damage across the neighborhoods, ranging from hotels, large warehouses, and dozens of residences affected in these photos alone.
Some of the photos show evidence of fire damage, consistent with reports of firefighting forces supporting the emergency response after the dual quakes.
Largest Venezuelan community in New York metro area reflects on earthquake's impact
The Venezuelan community in Union City, New Jersey, is reeling after the devastating earthquakes struck Venezuela. CNN’s Maria Santana talked to people at the Maracaibo Venezuelan restaurant who spoke of their fear, anxiety and helplessness, as they wait for news from loved ones back home.
“It’s very difficult to see such impactful images that are happening in our country of Venezuela. I’m really speechless,” employee Héctor Arrellano said.
About a 15-minute drive across the Hudson River, Union City is home to one of the largest Venezuelan communities in the entire New York–New Jersey area.
Some Venezuelan restaurant guests expressed frustration with the large distance that separates them from relatives back home, with patron Claudia del Rio saying it “makes it impossible to help or verify how people are doing.”
Other Union City residents told CNN that after they have managed to confirm that their loved ones are safe.
The community plans to host events and fundraisers to support rescue missions and send humanitarian aid to the country.
