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A message of solidarity directed to the Venezuelan people following the devastating earthquakes that shook the country was published this Thursday on the official account of Nicolás Maduro, who remains incarcerated in a federal prison in New York.
The text, shared on his social media and dated in New York, is the fourth public message that the former president has issued since his imprisonment on January 3, 2026, when he was captured in Caracas by U.S. special forces and transferred to the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center.
The complete message from Maduro
The statement, addressed to the "beloved people of Venezuela", begins with an invocation alongside his wife Cilia Flores, who is also detained and accused in the same case:
"Beloved people of Venezuela: in the face of the powerful earthquake that has struck our homeland, Cilia and I raise our prayers for every affected family, for the injured, for those who suffer, and for our entire community. Today, there is only one message: maximum unity, maximum solidarity, and maximum action."
Next, Maduro called for no Venezuelan to be left unprotected in the face of the catastrophe:
"Let no one be left alone; may each community take care of its children, its elderly, its sick, and may we all support the work of rescue teams, PNB, FANB, civil protection, doctors, firefighters, workers, and volunteers."
In the central section of the text, the former leader called for unity as a collective response to the tragedy:
"In this difficult hour, we call for national unity, serenity, and concrete love: to help, protect, share, uplift, and rebuild. Venezuela has faced great challenges, and we will come out of this strong as well, with faith, discipline, and solidarity."
The message concluded with a religious invocation: "Our hearts and prayers are with you. May God bless and protect Venezuela!"
In the comments section of the post, the opinions were very diverse: from those who said they felt supported by Maduro's words, to those who claimed that Nicolás Maduro Guerra, the son of the imprisoned former leader, is the one managing the social media account.
The tragedy that prompted the message
The two earthquakes -measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude- occurred on Wednesday with just 39 seconds between them, with epicenters in the state of Yaracuy.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the most intense is the strongest earthquake recorded in Venezuela since 1900, with a depth of only 10 kilometers that significantly amplified its impact.
The state of La Guaira was declared a "disaster zone" by the acting president Delcy Rodríguez, who described the situation harshly:
"The state of La Guaira is a true tragedy. There are dozens of collapsed buildings, and we are currently engaged in very arduous rescue efforts to save the lives that God allows us to save."
In Caracas, buildings collapsed in the areas of Los Palos Grandes, Altamira, and Chacao, including the 14-story Petunia residential building and at least one 22-story tower in Altamira.
The Maiquetía International Airport, the Caracas Metro, and the Tuy Valley Railroad remain closed due to structural damage.
The earthquakes were even felt in the Amazon of Brazil, approximately 1,700 kilometers from Caracas.
The international response and the silence of Cuba
The response from the international community was immediate.
Rodríguez publicly thanked the U.S. president Donald Trump, whose administration announced the dispatch of search and rescue equipment, medical supplies, and humanitarian assistance.
Support was also confirmed from the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Qatar, Panama, Ecuador, Colombia, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and Mexico.
Notably, Cuba -a historical ally of chavism for decades- was not listed among the countries mentioned by Rodríguez when thanking the international solidarity, according to the official assessment of the tragedy.
The USGS issued its Red Alert—maximum level—and estimated a 42% probability that the final number of fatalities could range between 10,000 and 100,000 people, although these are automatic probabilistic projections, not actual counts.
Venezuelan authorities warned that the death toll could continue to rise as rescue efforts progress.
As of the closing of this note, there are at least 164 dead and 971 injured while search efforts continue for people trapped under the rubble.
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